Romance Dawn I: Bearer of the Silver Flames
by komorebijeis
Summary: Falco D. Mihawk struggles with amnesia and is reluctant to open up due to her powerful lineage - until one man's flames becomes the light to guide her world. As the timer ticks closer to the Marineford War, an unlikely duo finds each other even on the crossroads of life and death. AcexOC, pre-war. "What is the point of love, if we must eventually say goodbye?"
1. Dawn of Dreams

**Chapter 1: Dawn of Dreams**

* * *

 _Was it fate that chose your path?_

 _If you knew of what would happen in the future,_

 _Would you prefer to have never been born?_

* * *

Chestnut-brown hair flew behind the nimble girl, making the autumn leaves rustle in her wake. She stumbled clumsily over a small boulder but paid no attention to it, wincing at her injuries as she did so. Blood bled profusely from her left shoulder blade as she attempted to clutch it to remedy the pain. The Kairoseki bullet had clipped her wings for good.

It had been ten years. Why now?

"Hold it!"

"It's Falco!"

"Get her!"

If only she could release her Devil Fruit ability—then she could fly away and escape from her pursuers. But the bullet embedded in her shoulder prevented her from going anywhere. Falco furrowed her eyebrows in disgust at the thought of them—guns were one of the only things that could take a bird down from the sky.

Judging by the weapons and the coats that these Marines wore, she guessed that they were high-ranking, important officials. She almost laughed at how dramatic the situation was—it was just like her grandfather to use a tight group of Marines to hunt her down. After all, her existence was not known to many.

The forest path before the girl blurred and sweat poured down her pale face. She should have exited the forest by now—she didn't know how much longer she would last at this rate.

 _There!_

The familiar rocky clearing had finally opened up to a large village by the sea, bustling with people enjoying the warm, sunny day. Brown and orange rooftops baked under the sunny rays of the summer island as seagulls circled its vast shores.

Falco sighed with relief. Her house was located just on the outskirts of the forest entrance, so if she could just run in quickly and grab her swords, she knew that she would be at an advantage. Although the girl didn't understand why the pursuit was happening today of all days, the time when the Marines would locate and aim to kill her was an event she had expected for the past decade. An emergency bag with just a few of her belongings always awaited her on the kitchen table, in case she'd have to evacuate immediately.

The normally peaceful town looked at the cloaked girl strangely as she leaped forward at the speed of light with blood marking the path behind her. Three Marines chased furiously after her, shoving townspeople left and right as Falco quickly navigated her way through the narrow corridors and alleyways that she had memorized over the past ten years. A cobblestone path between two identical buildings indicated that she was almost home—the Marines were closing in on her, but she could see her small, grey cottage straight ahead.

Falco wiped the sweat away from her forehead and burst inside, grabbing a sword with a silver sheath on the table. She turned towards the door, preparing to face her pursuers with the silver weapon in front of her body.

A short moment later, a tall, burly Marine who also wielded a sword stepped into the house, grinning menacingly once he saw her.

"I didn't think you'd be here, of all places."

Falco didn't reply, tilting her sword slightly so that its tip was facing his neck.

"We don't have to do this the hard way."

"How did you find me?" she whispered, ignoring his statement. "How many Marines are on this island?"

"The Admiral sent a small group to fetch you. As for how we knew your exact coordinates, I'm not sure," the Marine grinned. "But we are a team of Vice-Admirals and Rear Admirals. You will not be able to escape."

Falco muttered something under her breath so quietly that the Vice-Admiral could not catch what she had just said. She lowered her stance slightly, an ominous wind circling around her.

 _T-this is…_ the Marine thought. "Heh. So you _have_ been training."

Falco didn't give him a chance to reply as she lunged forward as fast as her legs would carry her. The Vice-Admiral blocked her first attack and pushed her away from him, running forwards immediately after.

The girl jumped up onto her table which was soon obliterated by the Marine's downward strike. Falco rolled sideways, trying her best to ignore the throbbing pain in her shoulder. Silver sparked as she lunged for him once more, but it was becoming very clear as to who the winner was.

Despite her injury, Falco's strikes were much more faster and efficient compared to the Vice-Admiral's. As the battle went on, the Marine could feel his movement becoming sluggish and slow compared to Falco's precise strikes.

He struck his blade downwards, attempting to strike her using his weight, but Falco merely sidestepped. As the Vice-Admiral regained his balance, the girl grabbed the hilt of another sword laying on the ground. Seeing as it was his chance, he attempted to strike downwards again.

But this time, Falco did not dodge his attack. Instead, she tilted her sword slightly so that the Marine slid off her sword. As he fell towards the ground, Falco unsheathed the other sword and whipped it upwards, leaving a huge gash on his chest.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and the Marine fell with a loud crash. He clutched his chest in pain, coughing blood.

"You're a _traitor_ ," he spat. "You _betrayed_ the Marines and decided to hide out on an island protected by a _pirate._ You should be honoured to share the blood of such a dutiful soldier."

Falco wiped the blood off of her white blade using a rag on the ground and immediately sheathed it again. She grabbed the emergency bag as well as a long, grey pouch which she put all of her swords in.

"Your grandfather will never let you go," he wheezed. "My subordinates… will never…"

She adjusted her brown cloak as well as her two bags, getting ready to run once more.

The Vice-Admiral rolled over onto his back and stared at the wooden ceilings of her small house. Placing a hand on his wounded chest, he said: "They told me you would've gotten weaker. That you would've lost your ability to fight. But I guess you never slacked off. To think that the little brat from ten years ago can now use Haki…"

He smirked slightly despite his pain. "We've never met formally, but I've known you for a long time. I was merely a chore boy back then, but a little girl with golden eyes would best the higher-ranking officers in a dual. That fire in you still burns so brightly…"

He turned his head to look at her. "I am glad I got a chance to fight you. It was a good match, finish me."

Falco checked her outfit in the mirror next to the broken table. Her blue off-shoulder sweater was soaked with blood and her green shorts and black boots were muddy after the long chase inside the forest. Her brown cloak also showed signs of wear, but it was the only one with a hood attached to it, so she didn't have a choice but to wear it. Tucking her wavy brown hair in carefully, she gave herself a reassuring smile before stepping outside.

"If your friends don't find you within half an hour, you'll die due to blood loss," she whispered so faintly that the Vice-Admiral almost didn't hear. "But I won't kill you myself."

The girl ran forward without another word, not looking back to what was already a fragment of the past. She entered a quiet alleyway, maneuvering swiftly through the labyrinth of the town and continued her way towards the main port that was on the other side of the village. She could take a ship and sail away, settle down on another island much like this one, and start anew.

 _But what if the Marines closed off the port?_ Falco asked herself. _How will I leave? I also need to find a doctor immediately._

Not only could she feel the bleeding getting worse, but her vision was starting to blur again. It was only during the swordfight that she could concentrate hard enough to ignore the pain. Now, it was hindering her chances of escape.

 _You have to think this through._ She told herself. _The Marines know that I'm on Root Island, but they don't know my exact coordinates. How many did that Marine say there were? Can't remember, but there probably aren't a lot of Vice-Marines and Rear Admirals to begin with, so they won't be able to search diligently. That Admiral… isn't the type of person to let a lot of people know of my existence, so he's probably sent a small group of the very best to find me._

She smirked as the vast shore came into view. _But I have no intentions of being caught._

The girl sprang out of the alleyway, preparing to jump on the first ship that she saw and speed away before anyone could find her, but her plans were stopped abruptly when she crashed into something hard. She fell unceremoniously onto the concrete floor, making her body go numb with pain.

"Ugh," she groaned, opening her eyes to see the perpetrator. A shadow loomed over her body, making the girl freeze with fear. She prepared her legs to run as fast as they could, in case it was a Marine.

"Mou, fuku-buchou!" The voice of a young girl cried. "Now look at what you've done!"

"It wasn't on purpose, Amare!" a man cried. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

He hauled the girl up quite easily, using a warm hand and muscular arms. His gentle, friendly orbs looked at her own golden ones with concern. A splash of freckles adorned his tanned face, and his slightly curled hair framed his kind features. A set of red beads hung loosely around his muscular neck, along with a tattered orange hat that sat on the top of his head. He bent down to grab her bag of swords as well, handing it to the surprised girl.

"You were running pretty fast," he smiled. Falco dusted her bag off, eyeing the two wearily. It was possible that they were Marines in disguise.

Falco studied the young girl carefully. Amare's black hair was in a short ponytail and her bangs were swept to one side. She wore dark green shorts and a loose black tank-top which was outlined with white fabric. Her emerald eyes crinkled into a cheery grin as she gazed at Falco pleasantly. Judging by her short stature, Falco guessed that she was no older than ten, at most.

Amare grabbed the man's hand suddenly, and when he crouched down, she leaned in and whispered something that seemed to surprise him.

"G-golden eyes," he stuttered. "You're right, maybe she's actually—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of thundering footsteps made Falco freeze with terror. The young man shoved Amare behind him as a small group of Marines surrounded the three. She heard the click of a magazine entering a pistol.

 _BANG!_

The bullet grazed the man's arm but embedded itself into Falco, pain suddenly exploding on her waist. She coughed up blood, recoiling backwards. The vice-commander caught her just in time, looking left and right to spot the assailant.

A group of twenty or so Marines had completely surrounded them, various weapons pointing at them threateningly. Falco's vision blurred as she felt her consciousness slipping in and out. She could barely make out the voices shouting around her.

"Let her go. You do not understand who that woman—"

"It's him! The vice-commander of the Second Division, Hiken no Ace—"

"—want her so badly the entire group is made up of high-ranking officials?"

"When's Admiral—"

A burning hotness jolted Falco awake as the man, 'Hiken no Ace' cried out: "HIBASHIRA!"

Falco's eyes widened as the orange fire swirled in front of her, embracing them into a tall pillar of an inferno. Time seemed to slow for a moment as the flames exploded outwards.

It almost seemed like it was her first time seeing something so bright and colourful—she hadn't realized how grey her world was until the fire shone in her eyes. They grey sea melted into a vast, beautiful blue that shimmered under the sunlight. The dark forest she always went to go train in turned into an assortment of green hues. It was like she had been colourblind her entire life and was now seeing colours for the first time.

"Now's our chance!" Ace cried, slinging Falco over his shoulder. Amare grabbed Ace's hand before leaping over a stone wall that was in front of a wooden port.

The three dashed down the wooden decks and then jumped into a small, yellow raft. Amare climbed up its little sail after grabbing a long rifle from the seat. Ace started the engine and the raft shot forwards, splashing water everywhere. They heard a gunshot in the distance but the bullet was quickly intercepted by Amare with a shot of her own.

Falco's eyes widened. This _child_ had aimed so perfectly that the bullet from the Marines had pierced into two pieces before falling lifelessly into the ocean.

"Utsu-Utsu no Mi!" Amare cried, still holding onto the sail. "Gives me awesome accuracy! My timing isn't great though—"

A bullet grazed her leg, making the child wince. Ace cried: "And you won't have a chance to fix that timing if you don't focus on the enemy in front of you right now!"

"I know, I know!"

The sound of a cannon going off in the distance startled Falco, but Ace calmly turned around and stopped it by using bullets made out of fire. A few stray shots that Amare could not block were also intercepted by the vice-commander. Falco could only look at the two with admiration at their extremely quick reaction times.

A short exchange of blows continued with several more bullets and cannons launching towards them, all stopped by Ace's fire attacks and Amare's supreme accuracy. A group of Marines had climbed into several different boats, speeding their way towards the group of three. Ace grinned, feeling as confident as ever. It would take a lot more than these small-fries to bring him down.

What he was worried about, however, was the _admiral_ that somebody had mentioned.

"Hang in there, Falco," he whispered reassuringly, turning the raft around a full 180 degrees. He jumped powerfully, creating a medium-sized wave that hit one raft and shot bullets of fire out of his left fingers which intercepted another. A Marine from a different boat pointed a gun at him, getting ready to shoot.

"Hand the girl over!" He cried.

"Who are you working under?" Ace interrupted, a question that was promptly ignored. The Marines fired a shot, but Ace was too quick for it, letting it pass by into the open air.

"What business do you have with the girl?" They asked once more.

"Well what business does she have with _you_?" Ace retorted cheekily, causing an uproar in the remaining three ships. They attempted to narrow in on him, but Ace's small raft was much too fast for the group of Marines.

His eyes caught a glimpse of the girl in his arms who was turning paler and paler, sweat and blood pouring down her small face. Ace furrowed his eyebrows with worry. Her injuries looked more severe than what he had hoped, and he had no idea where his crew was at. He would have to find the main fleet fast, where all the best doctors and nurses resided. But before that…

His attention turned back to the ten Marines in front of him, all nervously pointing guns at him in fear.

"Isn't this group kind of small to be chasing me?" He frowned. "I was hoping for at least an admiral…"

"Do not talk about our leader that way!" one Marine cried, looking furious. "He is a man of great power and justice—if he were here, he would've put your sorry pirate ass into a cell—"

"Boring," Amare yawned. She looked down at Ace from the sails. "Can I shoot them, fuku-buchou?"

"You've had enough fun," he smiled, shifting his weight so that Falco hung comfortably over his shoulder. He pulled a clenched fist back, preparing to use his signature move. "HIKEN!"

Falco's eyes flashed with a bright, youthful orange that made her feel warm, despite how hot the actual attack must've been. Not only had the attack hit all three ships at once, but the hot gas collided with the cool sea, sending a cloud of mist up to conceal them from any other pursuers.

 _Hiken no Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates…_ Falco recalled. _Well, he certainly lives up to his name._

It was only then that Falco realized she was being taken away by pirates, and she wasn't entirely sure as to which side was worse. But this man, Ace, didn't have a murderous intent in his eyes, unlike the Marines. Her heart palpitated nervously, suddenly all-too conscious that a strange man was holding her like a sack of potatoes. She hadn't had human contact in such a long time…

"Glad we bumped into each other!" Amare smiled cheerfully. "Oyaji gave us a mission to find you! Whatever it was, we were instructed not to hurt you if possible, but bring you back alive by all means."

Ace grinned at his young companion and nodded. "From the sounds of it, you're not an enemy. And if you're a friend of Oyaji, you're a friend of mine. What exactly he wants from you is beyond me, but we'll talk once we get to him."

Falco remained silent, not sure what to make of the situation. She grimaced slightly—what if Whitebeard wanted to kill her? She had heard that he was merciless.

"You look like we're out to kill you or something," Amare reiterated her thoughts. "Don't worry! We won't hurt you."

"There's actually a lot of people looking for you," Ace said. "Our brothers, specifically. You'll meet them soon."

Amare nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! They're all _really_ cool and _really_ powerfu! Ace is nothing against them!"

"Hey!"

 _The Marines…_ thought Falco. _Whitebeard… how did they all know where I was?_

Ace's warmth and the cool sea breeze calmed her, despite the gnawing fear inside her heart. Root Island, the place where she had resided on for the past ten years was one protected by Whitebeard himself. No Marines dared to step foot on it, nor did most pirates, which is why she remained on the island in the first place.

"I think we're almost here," said Ace. Falco turned her head to look and saw nothing but the blue sea that stretched across the horizon. Not even an island was in sight—they really were in the middle of nowhere.

"Maybe we're lost," Amare frowned. "I don't see the ship."

Ace smirked. "Just wait."

Her eyes suddenly focused on the water near her, and she saw a large black blob that was rapidly growing in size as it came up towards the surface. She looked up in case something was falling, but only the clouds greeted her which meant that it was coming up from below.

A giant blue whale shot out from the ocean with three ships behind it, making Falco squeal with surprise. After closer inspection, Falco realized that it wasn't a whale, but rather, a huge ship that was only designed to look like one. Its massive sails opened as if to stretch in the open space, and the remaining three ships, though smaller than the whale-like one, were still big enough to cast a shadow over the group, even if they were some distance away.

Falco heard the cry of a bird above and when she looked up, she saw a dazzling blue bird soaring in the sky. Upon closer inspection, Falco realized that it was a bird of fire—a phoenix. It approached the two quickly and when it got close enough, everything except for its arms turned into a human body.

"Hi, buchou!" said Amare, once she could recognize those signature flames. The phoenix looked at Ace and Falco in shock before smacking Ace on the back of his head angrily.

"You shot her?!" he exclaimed. "Ace, we briefed you a hundred times not to hurt her—"

The vice-commander rubbed his head in annoyance. "I didn't shoot her! I'm not _that_ stupid, Marco. She was already injured when I found her—not to mention she was shot again while we were running away!"

Falco inspected the phoenix man and noted his droopy eyes as well as his hairstyle that closely resembled the top of a pineapple. She guessed that the man had to either be extremely confident in his looks or stupid to sport a style like that.

Marco scowled and flew towards the giant ship, jerking his head towards the fleet. "Amare, get on my back. Ace, bring Falco up with you."

As the young child climbed onto the bird happily, Falco noted how distressed the man's droopy eyes looked when he saw her. Ace quickly led his raft to the bottom of the largest ship where a platform was waiting for them. Once he got on, his crewmates on deck hauled the two up using a lever.

"She needs medical attention!" Ace cried. "Where's Florence?"

As if on cue, a blonde-haired nurse with beautiful blue eyes stepped forward from the crowd, wearing leopard-print stockings and a hot pink nurse's outfit. Marco and Amare were behind her, the young sniper holding a small first-aid kit in her hands.

"What's the matter, Ace?" Florence asked, concerned eyes scanning Falco. The man quickly explained her injuries to the nurse, feeling increasingly worried as Falco's breaths turned shallower.

"Kairoseki bullets," the nurse whispered. "They're poisoned as well. Whatever the reason was, the Marines must've wanted the poor thing at all costs, especially if they're using such rare and expensive weapons."

She gave Marco a serious look. "At any rate, we're going to have to operate on her. Carry her down for me."

Marco hesitantly took the girl in his arms and followed the blonde nurse below the decks. The crowd of pirates who had watched the entire ordeal buzzed about with confusion. Who was the girl? Why was she brought here? And why was she injured?

"Yo!" A familiar voice jolted Ace awake from his thoughts. A tall man with a brown, pompadour hairstyle casually walked over to the vice-commander in greeting. "So you were the one who found Falco, huh? Lucky you. You're on a roll these days."

"Yeah, some luck," Ace grinned back at the Fourth Division's Commander, Thatch. "But who cares as long as the mission benefits the family? Oyaji seemed desperate to find her, anyways."

Thatch laughed loudly in agreement. "You'll see why soon. But as for your missions, you'll get the commander spot for sure if you keep this up—ol' Teach doesn't even want it. Then again, he's never been the type to stand out too much."

"Teach is weird," Amare crinkled her nose. "I don't like him."

Thatch gently bumped the child's head with a fist. "Hey, don't talk about a family member that way. Especially since he's a vice-commander in _your_ division."

Amare shrugged nonchalantly and ran off, going below decks to watch the surgery. Thatch smiled softly at her retreating figure before turning to face Ace again. His eyes widened at the vice-commander's appearance.

"H-holy crap, shouldn't you be checked out by a nurse too? You're bleeding everywhere!"

"Hmm?" Ace inspected his own body which was covered in blood—his front, his shoulders, his pants, his shoes—it was even dripping down his hands into a small puddle on the deck.

"It's… not my blood," whispered Ace, surprised at how he didn't realize the amount of blood Falco had lost during their short encounter. The fact that she was even conscious throughout the trip back to the _Moby Dick_ surprised him. Maybe it was his bare chest that made it seem worse than what it really was, but it looked like he had just ran through a chainsaw.

Thatch brushed his forehead in relief. "That's good. Go get showered, Ace. I'm sure by the time Florence is done with the surgery, Oyaji will want a mission report."

Ace nodded, still inspecting his bloodied hands.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **I: Dawn of Dreams**

* * *

When Ace entered the ICU room next to the nurses' quarters, Florence, Marco, and Thatch all surrounded the white bed that Falco was sleeping in. Amare was napping on the floor, oblivious to Florence and Marco's exhausted state.

"Okay…" Ace started. "I get why Florence would be tired, but why are _you_ also worn out?"

Marco gave Ace an annoyed look. "Emergency blood transfusion. She's an O-, apparently."

"You have O- blood?"

"Apparently."

Thatch rolled his eyes heavenwards at the dumb conversation. "It was exhausting to watch. I've never seen Florence look so frantic before—where are our emergency blood supplies, anyways?"

"We don't have any on the _Moby Dick_. " Florence groaned, "There's some on the other ships but we've exhausted most of our resources from our last battle. If she had lost any more blood, this girl could've been in serious danger. I couldn't risk it with Oyaji breathing down our backs. Besides, why bother when Marco himself is a beautiful sack of red blood cells?"

The commander slumped forward in his seat, looking like he never wanted to be near Florence again.

Ace's eyes trailed to the girl's sleeping visage in wonder. Her hazel-coloured hair was fanned around her pale face, and her intriguing golden eyes were softly shut from the anesthesia that was given to her for the surgery. A single IV was inserted in her veins, making her look sick and weak.

Amare stirred from her sleep and rubbed her eyes. "Is she awake yet?"

Thatch picked up the young child and hugged her close, tapping her nose playfully. "Not yet, princess. But I think she'll be alright."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, followed by Whitebeard's tall figure that entered the room. He looked at Falco for a brief moment before turning his attention to the platoon.

"How is she, Florence?" he asked gently. Although Ace knew that Whitebeard loved all his children equally, there was a certain softness in his voice that was unfamiliar to him when his captain asked about the girl.

The blonde-haired nurse passed a series of clipboards to him and shrugged. "She'll be okay, although I can't promise that she won't scar. I'm guessing that she won't wake up until tomorrow morning though—she's pretty weak."

"I don't think so," said Amare. "Look, she's awake!"

All heads turned to the bed. Indeed, the girl lay peacefully under the white sheets, blinking tiredly. Her golden eyes carefully analyzed the six pirates surrounding her, and it was only then that Ace noticed how beautiful her eyes really were. The colour was magnificent, but it was how large and sparkly it was under the dim lighting of the aged room that really caught his attention.

The girl gingerly tried to prop herself up, Thatch immediately going to her side to help. When he grabbed her arm though, she immediately jerked away, looking scared.

"You're awake?" Florence asked. "Already?"

"How do you feel?" Asked Whitebeard. "Do you remember what happened?"

She voided eye contact but nodded slowly.

"You're on board the _Moby Dick,_ the Whitebeard Pirates' main ship," Marco explained. "You had pretty bad injuries, but Florence fixed you right up."

"Marco donated his blood too," the blonde nurse smiled. "We didn't have enough type O- blood on board, you see."

Falco didn't take her eyes off of the white sheets but gave a small nod to show her appreciation. Her thin hands gripped the edges of the blanket tightly, shaking with fear.

"It has been a while," Whitebeard whispered. "How… have you been?"

Falco's head went up slowly to face Whitebeard.

"I…" she murmured, choosing her words very carefully. "Have I met you before?"

Whitebeard chuckled. "I suppose we have, when you were very, very young. I don't expect you to remember me though. Do I feel familiar in any way? Maybe this ship?"

The girl immediately withdrew, looking down at the sheets again. She hugged her knees close to herself and after a brief pause, she said:

"I don't… I can't remember anything."

"That's not very surprising," the captain nodded. "After all, it's been ten years since we've last heard anything from you."

The girl shook her head, looking fatigued. "I can't remember anything about my past."

Marco, Thatch, Florence, and Ace looked shocked at her sudden confession.

"Memory loss?" Florence asked. "As in… amnesia?"

Amare jumped out of Thatch's arms and climbed onto Ace's back. "What's that? Why can't she remember anything? Why can't _I_ remember her?"

Whitebeard's expression didn't change as he continued to stare at the girl. "I heard. Your teacher informed me a while back."

She looked up curiously. "Teacher… yes, I think there was someone like that."

"Looks like it's pretty serious," Whitebeard muttered. "He told me that he last saw you two months ago and that your amnesia gets progressively worse, but I didn't think you would've forgotten him either…"

Falco didn't reply, burying her head into her knees.

"He was the one who reached out to me to evacuate you because he was too far away," the captain continued. "The Marines were able to locate you and informed your grandfather of your location so he was afraid that you'd be in danger. He also asked me to convince you to stay."

"Stay," she whispered. "As in… become a pirate?"

"Yes."

The girl clenched her fists and she spoke firmly for the first time. "I do not take sides, Whitebeard. I do not kill or steal. I will never become a pirate."

The captain laughed loudly at her remark, surprising everyone. "If only your mother could hear you say that. Pirates aren't just about killing and stealing, you know."

Her fierce gaze was immediately replaced by her original timid nature. "I don't even remember her. All I can recall are the names of two people—"

"Your father and your grandfather," Whitebeard finished. "I know your entire family very well, Falco. And I probably know more about you than what you know about yourself."

Amare suddenly jumped over Ace's shoulder, kicking him on the way down and landing gracefully on Falco's bed. "Ne? Where are you going to go if you don't join us?"

Falco blinked, looking surprised. "I, um… a different isla—"

"That's _lame_ ," she frowned. "You should join us! We're a lot of fun! Sure, Ace snores like a pig—"

"I do _not_."

"—And Marco refuses to get a different hairstyle—"

"I thought we agreed to never talk about this again…"

"—We're still a pretty awesome family," she finished. "And you seem awesome too! Please? _Please?_ "

The older girl looked flustered. "I-I'm sorry, but I… I have a goal I need to accomplish, so I can't give up."

Thatch picked up the dejected little girl and put her on his shoulders. "Even if we say that we'll tell you bits about your past as time goes on?"

She didn't reply, continuing to stare at the sheets.

"Your mother—" Whitebeard started. "—was a daughter of mine. A very famous one too. She worked alongside of Marco and Thatch, way back in the days."

The girl's eyes widened. Her mother was a pirate? She hadn't known that.

"She was the Fourth Division's commander, right before she gave her seat up to Thatch. Star D. Maria was her name. She was a very well-respected pirate across the Grand Line. You'll come across her name every once in awhile if you sail the seas."

Ace could feel the momentum slowly shifting back to Whitebeard. Falco's hands relaxed, golden eyes looking confused.

"If you stay, I can tell you everything I know about you and your family," the captain offered. "You do not have to bear my name, but if you stayed for a while, even as a guest, that will ease my old heart up quite a bit."

Marco stepped forwards. "I know this all seems very forced and rushed, but Maria's last request before she died according to Oyaji, was for us to take care of you if you were in danger. She was worried that you would be killed before you got to see the world.

Thatch nodded. "Looks like your grandfather is dead set on you returning home, seeing how violent his methods were. You can't defend yourself alone, not with his authority. On the other hand… well, I don't mean to brag, but we're pretty strong."

" _Damn_ strong," Amare corrected, earning a glare from Marco.

Whitebeard studied the tattoos Marco, Ace, Thatch, and Florence bore with so much pride. "You have a choice, Falco. Why don't you join me and continue to carry on your mother's legacy in the Fourth Division under Thatch's command?"

The girl remained silent, but Ace could tell by her furrowed eyebrows that she was thinking hard. He didn't understand why she looked so worried—they were the most powerful crew in the world! Staying with them, even as a guest, should be an honour.

Falco quietly turned to look at Whitebeard's eyes for an answer, and she suddenly understood that she had no other options. She couldn't remember the face of her master anymore but she knew deep inside that he had been a trustworthy man. If he had personally requested Whitebeard to convince her to stay, then it probably meant that it was the best option.

She nodded once. "Okay, but only as a guest. When the time is right, I'll have to leave—to fight for my future."

The captain gave her a nod of approval. "Very well, but you're free to change your mind anytime. And if your goal is to defeat your father one day, you should try fighting against Marco first—he's no easy opponent."

Falco eyed the man cautiously, remembering his blue flames from before. She also recalled what the townsmen called him every time there was gossip about the Whitebeard Pirates— _Phoenix Marco_ , commander of the First Division of the most powerful crew in the world.

Amare shuffled closer to Falco until she could hold the swordsman's face with her small hands. "Ne, you said that you were fighting for your future, right? Well… I think that's perfect!"

Falco stared in confusion as Amare continued to smile at her. "All of us here—not just Oyaji, Ace, Marco, Thatch, or Florence, but the 1600 of us—are all fighting for a future. We all have dreams we want to accomplish. If you're battling to release yourself from a bad past, then fight with us! In exchange, we'll help you too. That's what a family is."

Thatch hauled the girl back onto his shoulder again, making her burst into giggles. "Well said."

Falco blinked her large, golden orbs at the young child. "But… I can't give up on my dreams."

"No one's telling you to," Marco smiled. "What do you say?"

After a few seconds of silence, Falco nodded hesitantly.

"Welcome to the family!" Florence smiled.

Before Falco could say her thanks, Ace looked at everyone in bewilderment, eyes flashing back and forth between his crewmates and the stranger in front of him. "Hold on, I'm still confused and you guys aren't answering any of the important questions! Who _is_ she? Who's the master she speaks of? Who is her father and her grandfather?"

The girl gazed at Whitebeard evenly, as if she were challenging him to answer the questions. And when he did, the blood in her body began to boil hotter and hotter with hatred and revenge.

Whitebeard's eyes never left Falco's gaze. "Her current alias is Falco D. Mihawk, daughter of the Shichibukai, Dracule Mihawk, and the Fourth Division's old commander, Star D. Maria. While her parents are famous pirates, her grandfather is a well-respected Marine."

Her golden eyes sparked with murderous intent.

"Admiral Sakazuki."

* * *

 **Welcome to the revamped version of** ** _Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames_** **. Before we continue, I'd like to mention a few things (please forgive me for the long A/N):**

 **People have messaged me about Falco's name. I am aware it should be Dracule D. Falco, and not Falco D. Mihawk. This discrepancy will be explained in a later arc in the story. _Romance Dawn I: Bearer of the Silver Flames_ currently has 140 chapters planned, though I am hoping to shorten it to ~100. It is the first book out of three, though the latter two may be merged. As you may be able to tell, each chapter has around 6000-8000 words, though longer chapters have peaked up to 10,000~20,000. I want to keep the chapters a little shorter because I have a hard time editing long stories, but I would appreciate any feedback on what to do.**

 **This first arc is quite fluffy and generally light (a K+ to T rating), however, the story will hike to an M/M+ as it progresses (ratings will change accordingly). The later arcs may be very dark and depressing, political and philosophical, or sometimes dry and boring. Though my writing is not as good as Oda's, I hope that you will give me a chance.**

 **I started writing _One Piece_ from an OC's point of view outside of Luffy's, as there are many great, often philosophical concepts that _One Piece_ explores. Though Luffy has his moments, he is not always the deepest of the most relatable character with his straightforwardness and inhuman strength. Falco was created to give a different point of view, and to challenge some of the bigger questions the series asks as a whole. This will not just be a retelling of _One Piece_** **—after Marineford, the story is set in the original timeline, but the arcs will be my own.**

 **The summary on the Fanfiction may also change as the arc moves on (along with any necessary rating changes).**

 **Reviews greatly motivate me and I save every single one of them. If you would take some time to leave a review or send me a message with your feedback (critical or otherwise), I would greatly appreciate it.**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **January 2019 Update:**

 **I've taken down most of the chapters at the moment as I'm tweaking some important details. I'll upload up to wherever we were on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and hopefully Chapter 10 within the next two months. Thank you for your patience** **—I didn't expect to take this long, but I've been extremely busy with university!**


	2. A Past that is Worth Forgetting

**Chapter 2: A Past that is Worth Forgetting**

* * *

 _The blood of a pirate…_

 _And the blood of a Marine…_

 _Which path shall you take?_

* * *

"You'll be sharing a room with Ace and Amare for now," Thatch smiled, opening a door to their quarters. "Unfortunately, we don't have any other private rooms for you. Generally, only vice-commanders and commanders get these but we didn't want Amare in the cabins with 100 drunken pirates and Oyaji asked us to treat you like a VIP guest, so here we are."

"VIP?" Amare asked, crinkling her nose. "More like RIP. You won't get any sleep with Ace around. He snores _really_ loudly."

The vice-commander grabbed the girl with one quick swoop and put her on his shoulders, making her squeal with surprise. "What did you say, kid? You want to fight?"

A small smile formed on Falco's lips as she watched the two play joyfully. The room was quite simple—there was a door on the left wall that led to what she presumed was a bathroom, and the other side of the entranceway was a large bed with a round window next to it. Towards the right there was a wooden table with four chairs that had dirty dishes and maps piled everywhere, and behind it was a large drawer with clothes hanging out carelessly.

"It's the biggest room we have," Marco shrugged. "You should be alright if you and Amare sleep the opposite way from Ace on the bed."

"Or Ace could just man up and sleep on the floor," Thatch said loudly. "But we all know how meticulous he is about his sleep."

"Shut up," the man frowned, putting Amare down.

Ace eyed the woman before him with a strange sense of caution. Although her background had been revealed, there was something mysterious about her that he couldn't quite place his finger on. After Ace had found out the true identity of his own father, he thought he could never be more shocked. But this girl… _Falco's_ bloodline was almost as scary as his own. He never knew that Mihawk had a daughter, and that her mother was the legendary commander, Star D. Maria. It didn't make sense.

He thought back to Florence's question.

 _"Then… why do you want to kill your father and your grandfather?"_

 _An ominous wind circulated the room—something which Ace realized was Haki. Falco's fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, and her golden eyes hardened at Florence's question, replacing the soft demeanour that she had before._

 _"Though I can no longer remember the exact reason, I know that they were somehow responsible for my mother's death and put my life into shambles. Even with my amnesia, the one thing I know for certainty is that I hate them with my life. And it is this hate that keeps me alive today."_

Ace shook his head at the memory. So Mihawk and Akainu had killed the old Fourth Division's commander some time ago, huh? Then why didn't Whitebeard do anything about it? Even Marco and Thatch seemed to be okay with the fact that this commander had just… died.

"In case you haven't figured it out already," Marco said, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm the First Division's commander, Marco. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to come to me. I'm in the room down the hall."

Thatch jerked his thumb towards himself. "I'm the Fourth Division's commander, Thatch. I also room with Marco. There's also a giant man named Jozu who's right next to us, and he's the Third Division's commander. You'll see him soon—he's out on a mission right now."

"Jozu's awesome!" Amare cried. "He's like, shiny and sparkling half the time. Oh but he's super strong too, I bet he could beat the shi—"

"Alright!" Marco cut her off, grabbing her hand. "You've been with us for _way_ too long. Let's go get some food, yeah?"

The commander dragged the child out of the room despite her complaints. Just as the two left, Florence entered the room, shaking her head and smiling in exasperation.

"Good to see that Amare's doing well," she commented. "And how are you, my dear?"

Falco gave the nurse a shy smile. "I-I'm good. Thank you."

She grinned. "I'm the head nurse here—more specifically, under Commander Marco's orders. I train the other doctors and nurses on this ship too."

Thatch held out a hand. "We have four ships—divisions one through four live on this one, the _Moby Dick,_ and the other twelve commanders are spread equally amongst the other three vessels."

Falco blinked. "Sorry, did I miss the Second Division's commander?" If she recalled correctly, no one had said anything about the position.

"His name is Malkin," sighed Ace, laying down on his bed. "He's getting married soon—and retiring."

"Now it's up to Pops to find the next commander for the Second Division," Florence smiled. "There are currently three vice-commanders running for the position: Ace, Teach, and Carlos. Oyaji hasn't said anything yet but we have a feeling Ace is going to win the spot. He's completed the most amount of missions so far."

Falco found the organized structure quite interesting. So Ace was a vice-commander… that explained his talents when it came to his brief fight with the Marines this morning. And if Ace was that strong, how powerful was Marco? What about Whitebeard?

Her mother as well… Star D. Maria of the Fourth Division. She must've also been strong if she had led an entire division.

"Vice-commanders can be chosen by how long they've been here, seniority, strength, or even popularity," Thatch continued. "There are a lot of different aspects in becoming a vice-commander, and they're mostly nominated by Oyaji himself, or through the Hexadecagon Tournament."

"If you're lucky, you'll see what that is later," Marco explained after looking at her confused expression. "Ace is an odd case though—he used to be the captain of his own crew not too long ago before he joined the Whitebeard Pirates."

Florence leaned forwards to Falco's face and grinned excitedly. "Say, even if you're a guest, why don't you pick a division to stay under for the time being? You said that you wanted to defeat Mihawk one day, right? If you go on missions with us, you'll find plenty of strong people!"

Thatch nodded in agreement. "That's not a bad idea. I'm sure Oyaji would be pleased to let you join, even if it's only temporary."

The girl took a moment to evaluate her options. The First Division, led by Phoenix Marco; the Second Division who was currently commander-less, but had Ace as a vice-commander; the mysterious Third Division, and the Fourth Division under Thatch.

She'd made up her mind the moment she heard her mother's name.

"The Fourth Division," Falco said softly. "I… I want to be close to the people that my mother worked with."

Thatch held out a hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Welcome to the team. Nice to have Maria's daughter carrying on her legacy."

Falco extended her arm cautiously and gently shook the older man's hand. "Were you close to my mother?"

The commander chuckled and crossed his arms, looking at Florence and Marco with nostalgic eyes. "We all were. Maria was my commander but she was also a friend, a sister, and a mother to us all. She was the one who convinced me to become a vice-commander. If I knew how many responsibilities commanders had though, I probably would've never signed up!"

"I doubt it, you always wanted to be a commander," Florence murmured absentmindedly as she checked her watch. She suddenly grabbed Thatch's arm and dragged him towards the door, waving at Ace and Falco frantically. "And you won't stay as a commander for long if you don't get your ass to the general meeting that starts in five minutes!"

As Florence dragged Thatch outside, Marco walked back in with Amare, who was carrying an armful of bread. "Crap, I totally forgot. I'll talk to you later, Falco. Rest up and enjoy your stay. Amare and Ace—treat her well."

"Yes, sir!" cried Amare, giving him a mock salute. Once Marco exited the room, she gave Falco a mischievous smile and suddenly ran up to the closet, yanking the doors open. After rummaging around for a few seconds, she dragged out a long, grey bag which Falco recognized immediately.

"Those are my—"

"Swords, right?" Amare asked, dumping the sheathed blades to the floor. "I grabbed them after you got shot on Root Island—but I thought you wouldn't want other people touching your swords. I'm so happy you joined the crew though! I love it here but it gets lonely sometimes, you know? Marco, Thatch, Florence, and Jozu are best friends, Ace is always out on a mission, and Oyaji is busy most of the time, so there's not a lot of people I can hang out with."

"Amare's only been in this crew for two months," Ace explained, sitting up now. "We found her on a deserted island. She won't explain why she was alone when we found her, though."

The young girl paid no attention to Ace's words and proceeded to unsheathe Falco's blades. "Wow! I've never seen a white sword before."

"That's a Wazamono-graded sword," Falco said quietly. "Yoake—the Dawn of the Twelve Supreme Swords."

"How beautiful! They all look expensive..." Amare trailed off. She had never seen a blade so white—not to mention how elegant it looked with the golden _midare_ hamon which decorated the bottom of the blade like sparkling waves.

Amare carefully sheathed the sword and pulled out another blade which was much taller than her. "An odachi! I don't think I've ever seen one before. Is this also graded?"

Falco shook her head. "Neither is the other one. The odachi is called Sorahime."

Amare inspected the two blades carefully. "Wait a minute—this sword isn't sharp!" She exclaimed, holding the third blade.

Ace raised an eyebrow. _A sword that can't kill..._

"It's not meant to kill people," she said softly. "It's called a sakaboto—a reverse blade. Its name is Hanamei."

The young girl grinned as she sheathed the blades once more, looking at Falco excitedly. "You must be an _awesome_ swordsman to have such amazing weapons."

At her words, Falco instantly stiffened and slowly looked down at the ground. "I'm not worthy of those blades."

Ace raised an eyebrow at her sudden crestfallen face. He didn't know why, but seeing her sad didn't suit her at all, even if she wasn't as boisterous as himself or Amare. Smiling gently, he went over to her and jabbed a finger to her waist, making Falco leap up in surprise.

She furrowed her eyebrows, rubbing her waist in annoyance. "What was that for?"

The vice-commander gave her a childish grin. "You need to loosen up! I'm sure all of these wonderful blades are happy to have you as their master. You're also a lot more worthy than what you may think—don't put yourself down like that."

The tension in her shoulders seemed to relax, and she faced him to show a small, shy smile. "You're right. I was lost in thought for a moment there. Thank you, Ace."

He stiffened in surprise, not expecting her honest words. "No worries."

Amare blinked at their interaction before a sly grin creeped upon her lips. "Young people these days…"

"Isn't something _you_ should be saying, midget," Ace said as he yanked her nose upwards, causing the young girl to cry out in pain. "Go make fun of someone else."

"No!" she cried, rubbing her nose. "I like Falco—she's nice and she has cool swords. I mean, what kind of a swordsman carries around a _dull_ blade? I sure as hell bet Vista doesn't."

Ace picked the child up and placed her on his sturdy shoulders, making her squeal happily. "You keep talking like that and I'll send you to Florence for a long, _long_ lecture."

Falco smiled gently at the duo before picking up Hanamei. "Killing people doesn't prove a point—I wanted a dull blade to show my strength, but I hope that I will never have to murder anyone."

Ace felt skeptical. He mostly used hand-to-hand combat so swordfighting wasn't his area of expertise, but he nodded regardless. _A swordsman who has no intentions to cut and kill…_ Ace couldn't decide if it was pathetic or admirable.

"The Fifth Division's commander, Vista, is a really awesome swordsman," Amare piped in. "He wields sabres. Maybe you should challenge him one day. I bet he'd be happy to know that Maria's daughter has joined our family for the time being."

"You know… my mother?" Falco asked softly, widening her eyes.

"Nope," Amare shook her head, jumping off from Ace's shoulders. "But I've heard some really cool stories about her. The first female commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, who shone like a beacon in the dark during the stormiest of seas… or at least, that's what Thatch told me."

"There's not a lot of tales about her," admitted Ace, sitting back down on his bed. "I bet there are, but no one likes to talk about Maria unless it's purely for storytelling after a long night, or reminiscing about the first generation of the Whitebeard Pirates. It looks to me that she's really missed by everyone who knew her. It would've been nice if she were still—"

 _BOOM!_

Ace's words were quickly cut short after the sound of a cannonball going off echoed throughout the room. Falco felt the ship shudder, followed by more sounds of explosions going off in the distance. Ace climbed onto his sheets and peered outside the window, gasping when he saw the scene.

"It's the Marines. An entire fleet of them," he muttered. "C'mon, we have to go up and help the others."

"ACE! VICE-COMMANDER ACE!" yelled out a crewmate, stumbling into the room. "We need your assistance! Most of the commanders are out on a mission right now and Oyaji can't hold them all off!"

"That's what it seems like, but he's probably too lazy to deal with it on his own," Amare smirked. "Let's go, Congested Oaf and New Girl."

"Congested—hey!" Ace cried, running after Amare.

Falco stared at their carefree attitudes in awe. This was her first official battle on sea and she was more than terrified at the possibility that she could die. But the young pair reassured her just a little bit with their happy-go-lucky personalities.

She strapped her odachi to her back and her katanas to the right side of her waist, shaking her head as she did so. _Don't worry about that now. Focus on keeping yourself alive._

Falco quickly trailed behind the two, taking up several flights of stairs to reach the deck. By the time the three had arrived, a full-fledged battle had started. She could hear the screech of a bird above and then a blinding blue light afterwards. From the backside of the ship, Thatch was fighting against a group of Marines using two swords.

"Stay close to me," Ace warned her, flames cloaking his body. "HIKEN!"

A giant pillar of light scorched everything in front of its path, leaving black burn marks on the deck. Blue fires mixed with orange, making the area swirl with hot gas.

"Are you okay—whoa!" Ace exclaimed when a Marine approached him with a gun. Amare sniped him from the crow's nest and gave the two a thumbs-up.

Three more Marines ran towards the pair, waving swords in front of their faces. Ace reached for Falco's wrist and pulled her behind him protectively, eying who would attack first. Falco was pressed onto his warm back, blushing slightly.

"I can fight too," she whispered quietly. "You don't need to protect me."

"And I don't doubt that," said Ace. "But you just got out of surgery and Oyaji put you under my protection so I'm not going to take any chances."

Falco's hand reached for her odachi just in case, but Ace had already blown the two Marines off the ship. Another Marine was sneaking up from behind, but he almost dropped his sword when he saw the girl's face.

"It's her!" he cried out. "She's the target!"

Ace wasted no time yanking her hand and pulling her up above decks. He got his own dagger out and proceeded to deflect every attack with quick, precise movements.

Multiple groups of Marines continued to attack the duo until they cornered them right up to the tip of the bow. From the edge of his eyes, Ace could see Oyaji and Marco fighting on the opposite side of the deck, and Thatch was also being ambushed by a large group of soldiers.

"What is it that you want?!" He could hear Whitebeard thunder. "Is it war that you are asking for?"

"Hand over the girl!" A Marine yelled from the main fleet. "She is the only one that we want!"

Marco turned back into his phoenix form and blasted through his enemies mercilessly, screeching as he did so. "Over my dead body will we let you take our sister! If you want her that badly, you'll have to face us first!"

The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates chanted in unison, much to the awe of the girl. She found herself feeling slightly touched that so many people that she had just met were fighting for her.

"Watch out!" Ace cried, alarming the girl. A Marine leaped towards her, sword swinging down. Even before he landed, Falco drew out the legendary Yoake and deflected his attack back easily. Another swung his sword behind her, but this time she pulled out her odachi only partway from her back to block the strike and then flipped her katana in reverse and swung upwards.

Ace momentarily stopped fighting to watch Falco's quick movements. Unlike most nitoryu or even santoryu swordsmen, Falco did not hold all three weapons at once. Instead, she utilized her swords from time to time by switching in and out depending on what was best for the situation. Ace realized that in order to do this, it wasn't only her reaction time that had to be quick, but also her thinking, so she could pull out her next sword without hesitation.

By using a combination of normal grip, side grip, reverse grip, and not even fully pulling out her swords, Ace noticed how Falco's fighting style made her look more like an elegant dancer than a swordsman.

His momentary distraction gave five Marines a chance to attack the girl all at once the moment she finished deflecting another attack.

"FALCO!" Amare cried from the bird's nest, loading her pistols to shoot again. But before she magazines even locked into the guns, there was a loud screech on deck—one higher pitched than Marco's in his phoenix form. A bright light suddenly illuminated the spot where she was standing just moments before, and Ace realized that she was no longer on deck.

A huge shadow loomed over him, causing the vice-commander to look up.

His mouth was opened widely, unable to make any coherent words.

"Is... is that a dragon?" Thatch murmured.

Falco was in the air, angry eyes analyzing each Marine. Although nothing about her body had changed, there were now _wings_ on her back. It shimmered beautifully under the sun, glittering with an iridescent sheen. Unlike ordinary birds, Falco's feathers looked sharp and jagged, as if they were colourful icicles on her back. A silver fire encapsulated her, shocking everyone on board, and iridescent scales covered her cheekbones. Her golden eyes, ordinarily large and beautiful like an orb, now looked more like Mihawk's sharp and narrow ones.

"It's cowardly to sneak up on someone behind their back," she growled, eyeing the Marines vengefully.

She gracefully flapped both her wings, silver fire crashing onto the deck and immediately injuring everyone within her vicinity. Falco quickly made her wings dematerialize and leaped onto the deck where a Marine immediately lunged for her with a sword. She gave him no opportunity to strike, using her odachi to silently wound the Marine with a clean slice and kicking him away.

Ace looked to the side—the deck that had been hit by her previous attack continued to burn, but just as someone was about to extinguish it with water, it had disappeared on its own.

"Phoenix Marco, who possesses the blue flames of healing," one terrified Marine whispered. "Vice-commander Hiken no Ace, who holds the youthful orange fires that will lead the next era of pirates… and this girl, who bears the silver flames of revenge…"

The majority of the Marines were now either defeated or were beginning to retreat back to their ships. Most of the Whitebeard Pirates prepared to make the final push when a giant rumble made everyone stop in their tracks. They all looked towards the source of the noise, where their captain could be seen stepping onto the balcony, glaring at his enemies.

The Marines yelped and ran away, jumping off the deck or returning to what was left of the fleet—all except for one.

Whitebeared raised an eyebrow and slowly walked towards the lone Marine, who did not look frightened at the man's giant stature. He matched the captain's gaze evenly, challenging him even though he looked severely injured.

"Brat," said the captain. "Why are you still here?"

"Heh," he went, wiping the blood off of his mouth. "You guys… have no idea who that girl is. The… the granddaughter of Admiral Sakazuki…"

Falco stiffened at the sound of his name.

"You will regret having her on board," he rasped, falling to his knees. "As long as she is alive, the Marines will continue to hunt her down with a force greater than ever. A wise man said she will bring tragedy amongst the crew. She will bring you endless bad luck, and her woes will chase you to the end of the seas."

"Enough," Whitebeard growled. "Who is this man that you speak of? And what does Akainu want from this girl?"

The Marine ignored him and continued on. "She's a traitor who betrayed her grandfather and all the work that he has done, and she'll one day leave you too, just when you need her the most. She cannot live, for she is too dangerous to both the Marines and the Pirates. Her lineage is too powerful for us to let her exist…"

Before Whitebeard had a chance to crack his skull open, a flash of orange slammed into the Marine and sent him flying across the ocean. Ace had knocked him away, a fury in his eyes that was unrecognizable by most.

" _Don't_ ," he snarled. " _Ever_ say that someone doesn't deserve to live because of their lineage. There's so much more to a person than their parents!"

Falco looked at Ace in surprise, who was breathing heavily from anger. The golden-eyed girl went up to him and smiled, albeit a little sadly.

"Thank you, Ace."

Whitebeard slammed a fist to the side, causing a giant wave to crash onto the Marine fleet. Falco jumped slightly at the tremor and felt shocked when she realized that he had _cracked_ the air.

"If you do not wish to die a painful death," he snarled. "Begone now, and never come back!"

A series of panicked screams could be heard as the defeated fleet made their way out of Whitebeard's proximity. The captain sighed in annoyance and turned to look at Falco.

"Are you okay?" He asked, eyes softening ever so slightly. The girl looked down at her feet and nodded, and Ace had just noticed how shy and jittery the girl seemed to be in front of them.

"Oi, oi," Thatch said, walking up to Whitebeard's side. "No one is asking the important questions here—isn't anyone curious as to what Falco turned into a moment ago?

"A _dragon_ ," Amare whispered. "Is it a Devil Fruit power?"

Falco shifted back and forth on her feet, looking uneasy. Whitebeard noticed her behaviour and ushered everyone back inside.

"Divisions Five through Sixteen," he said. "You will help clean up the deck. Marco, Thatch, Ace, Amare, and Falco—come with me."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **II: A Past That Is Worth Forgetting**

* * *

"So… you don't remember when or where you ate your Devil Fruit?" Marco asked. The girl nodded slowly, looking tired from the array of questions thrown at her.

"Although it is powerful, I feel like the more I use it, the faster I lose my memories, which is why I rely on my swords instead," she whispered, avoiding eye-contact. "I call it the Tori Tori no Mi: Model, Dragon."

"But why would that be?" Marco asked. "I've never heard of anyone losing their memories just because they ate a Devil Fruit."

Even Whitebeard seemed confused. "In all of my years of sailing the seas, I have never heard of anything like this."

"Whether I use it or not though, I will still forget things in chronological order," Falco explained. "I suppose I'll soon forget about Root Island as well. The only reason why I believe I haven't forgotten my grandfather or my father yet is because of my hatred for them," said Falco, fists clenched.

"And you don't remember the exact cause of your hatred for Akainu and Mihawk?" The captain asked gently.

Falco shook her head. "No... and I know it sounds so silly too—holding a grudge that you can't remember. B-but there _must_ be a reason why I haven't forgotten about them for all these years."

"I see," Whitebeard nodded. "And do you still refuse to bear my name?"

"About that," Thatch spoke up. "She's agreed to work with me for the time being. Not as an official member of the Whitebeard Pirates, but as a special guest, at the very least."

Ace, who had been quiet throughout the entire exchange, felt a little lost. The Marine's words reminded him of the question he asked Garp, many years ago. Was it good that he was born? What was the point of his existence? Weren't the answers to these questions the reason why he decided to travel across the Grand Line in the first place? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had made no progress to answer them, even though it had been a few years since he started his voyage.

 _"She cannot live, for she is too dangerous to both the Marines and the pirates. Her lineage is just too powerful for us to let her exist…"_

Falco had concealed herself for the past ten years because of her family. Alone, isolated, and friendless, only training with thoughts of hatred and revenge. Ace wondered—if he told her about his own father, would she understand? Or would she hate him, just like everybody else, because his father had started this bloody era?

And the more he thought, the more he understood her reclusive attitude. He know that deep down, he lashed out as a child because he was angry that he was Roger's son. Falco, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Her lack of memories as well as her hatred and fear of Mihawk and Akainu pushed her to be isolated as a way to protect herself. She had been weary and cautious of strangers for a decade, living anxiously in case somebody recognized her and reported her to the Marines. He couldn't blame her for being so jittery and quiet.

"…You okay, Ace?" Marco asked, peering closer to the vice-commander. The boy jumped up in surprise and chuckled nervously.

"I'm fine," he grinned. "I was just thinking about something."

"That's a rare sight," Amare snorted, causing Ace to pinch her cheeks in annoyance. The group laughed loudly at the duo before returning their attentions back to the girl.

"Regardless of how you feel about everything," Marco started. "Don't forget that many of us—including me, Thatch, Florence, Ace, and Amare… have our own stories too. So you're not alone. We're all outcasts to the world, but when Whitebeard calls us his children, it makes us his family. And to people like us, his love and protection are like gifts. "

Falco's eyes widened just a bit. "His… children?"

Whitebeard smiled. "Maria was also the same. She used to be a Marine, you know—a very famous one, who strived to be the best. A well-respected fighter who fought her way up to become a Vice-Admiral. But she never enjoyed being under her father's orders—she said it was too suffocating, and she wanted to define the word 'justice' on her own. Maria did not expect herself to become a pirate, but when she did… she served under my orders with utmost devotion."

Marco grinned. "She welcomed anyone, regardless of their stance, and had an open mindedness to her that made her easy to befriend. I'm sure once you start warming up to us, you'll see us as your family too."

 _A family…_ Falco thought. _I don't recall what it's been like to be part of a family._

She shook her head. _Wake up, you idiot. You can't stray far from your path. Your only goal is to defeat Mihawk and Sakazuki—not to create pretty little bonds._ "I-I'm sorry, but I have my own plans."

Marco, Thatch, and Amare immediately looked dejected, but Whitebeard burst out into a hearty laughter. "Gurarara! I expected it. Maria also took a fair bit of convincing before she bore my mark."

Whitebeard slammed his massive bisento to the ground. "I think we should still celebrate though—an official welcoming to our special guest."

Marco grabbed Falco's wrist and dragged her out the room. "What are we waiting for then?" he asked. "The others have already started to eat dinner—we should go as well."

Before Falco even had a chance to respond, Marco was already dragging her out the door.

Thatch and Amare trailed behind them, the former yelling at the First Division's commander to keep his hands off of Maria's daughter. Falco gave them a small smile and insisted that she was okay.

Ace smiled softly at their retreating figures. _I suppose she's not too bad._

"Ace," said Whitebeard. "Is there something bothering you? The words of that Marine, perhaps? You've been quiet."

The vice-commander decided to answer truthfully. "Yes... to be honest, I've been thinking about what it means to exist, and why people think lineage is so important. That girl—Falco… she doesn't seem like a bad person."

The captain raised an eyebrow. "That's an interesting thing for you to say, seeing how it's your first time meeting her."

"She only has one goal," said Ace. "And it's to kill Mihawk and Akainu. But she doesn't wish to kill anyone else, even though she's a swordsman. She carries a dull sword. I wonder what she was threatened with, to be isolated and alone for ten years..."

Whitebeard gave him a small smile. "I've told you this before Ace, and I'll tell you many more times if I have to. In the end, we are all children of the sea. Regardless of your relationship with Roger, and regardless of Falco's parents—the bottom line is, we need to protect and love one another. Don't think too much about it."

Ace gave the captain a toothy grin. "You're right. Thanks, Oyaji."

The vice-commander ran after his crewmates to the mess hall, waiting to get some food. He chose the seat next to Falco, who was quietly sipping on some water. Almost every seat had been filled now, with hundreds of pirates waiting to hear what Oyaji was going to celebrate about today.

"Where did Amare go?" Ace asked, realizing that the young girl was not present.

Thatch passed the vice-commander a glass of beer and shrugged. "She said she wanted to nap. That battle probably wore her out."

Ace raised an eyebrow but didn't reply. The massive doors to the mess hall creaked open as Whitebeard entered, causing everyone to stand up.

"Ahem," he said. "We have a guest that'll be in our care for the time being. Her name is Falco, and she is in the Fourth Division right now under Thatch. Treat her well, my children."

Marco raised a glass to the sky. "We don't know how long you'll be with us, Falco, but for the time being, I'm glad to know that you'll be part of the Whitebeard Pirates. Kanpai!"

"KANPAI!" The pirates cheered. A band started to play joyful music on one side of the room and many crewmates quickly stood up to grab some food from the buffet. Marco and Thatch stood up as well, joining the others for the giant feast.

"Are you okay?" Ace asked Falco, who was sitting down with a mystified expression. "Want me to go get something for you?"

"That'd be nice," she smiled. "I'm sorry—I don't think my nerves have calmed down since the fight this afternoon. My hands are still shaking."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "You should go ask Florence to treat you then. There's not a single thing she can't fix!"

With that he dashed over to the other commanders, lining up to get himself a platter of food. Falco stared at her hands and flexed them a few times, trying to get the blood flowing again.

 _It's not the fight that scared me_. Falco thought to herself. _It was… those words. I knew that my grandfather didn't want me if I wasn't a Marine, but would he go so far as to call me a 'traitor'? Is that what he refers to me now? Does he really want to kill me, even though I'm his family? I guess I shouldn't be the one talking though..._

 _And it's not just that I'm scared of knowing…_ Falco realized. _I'm also scared of… failure._

 _What if I'm not strong enough to defeat Mihawk?_

"Kya, this beer is so good!" Thatch cried, jolting Falco awake from her thoughts. "Do you drink?"

"Well she better," Ace said, hands and arms now full with massive plates of food. "Because if not, she's missing out! We should have these celebrations more often—the food hasn't been this good in a while."

Marco laughed loudly. "Well Falco, you should celebrate with us. It's your party after all!"

The commander raised his drink, and Falco took her own up as well. After taking a sip, her eyes shimmered with delight.

"It's good," she said, taking another drink.

"Right?" Thatch laughed. "Root Island doesn't carry this—it's made specially by us so we can have it on special occasions. What do you normally like to drink?"

"White wine," Falco answered immediately.

"The beer's great and all," said Ace, eyeing the plates in front of him. "But the food's amazing as well! Each division has a group of chefs, but occasionally they all get together to create a big feast like this one. You better start eating fast, or else there won't be any—"

His face slammed into his meal, shocking Falco.

"W-what happened?" she stuttered. "Are you okay?"

Marco and Thatch howled boisterously, clutching their stomachs. "He's always like that!" Marco cried, wiping away a tear. "And if you think you'll get used to it, don't—because he's never ceased to amaze me every time this happens."

At that moment, Ace woke up again and resumed shoving his face with the piles of food before him, completely oblivious to what they were talking about. The two commanders laughed even harder, causing Falco to smile slightly as well.

Marco raised an eyebrow and grinned, straightening up. "Oh? I think this is the first time I've ever seen you smile!"

"Really?" said Ace, biting into a large piece of meat. "I've seen her smile before. I think she looks prettier that way."

Marco leaned closer, looking mischievous. "Eh? Now that I look at it closely, you guys have a good atmosphere together."

"Yeah?" Ace grinned, leaning closer to Falco. "I think most people look good with me."

Falco froze in place, turning red. Thatch laughed good-naturedly at the two and gave Falco a wink.

"Well, maybe Ace needs a woman to keep his place in line," he said cheekily. "And maybe you should've worked under Ace's orders once he becomes a commander instead of mine."

"Don't make the atmosphere between us awkward," said Ace, munching on the food. "We'll be rooming together from now on."

Thatch grinned, as if he suddenly had a great idea. "Hey, Falco—who do you think is the best looking out of us three?"

She choked on her drink and began to cough loudly, making the two commanders and vice-commander look at her curiously. Sure, they weren't interested in _love_ , but it never hurt for a woman to compliment their appearance every once in a while.

"Um…" Falco hesitantly said, looking at the three of them back and forth. She wasn't sure about Marco's hairstyle though she knew that his chiseled body would make anybody drool. Ace was probably closest to her age, with a splash of freckles across his face that made him look youthful, contrasting his handsome face. But…

"Maybe… Thatch?" Falco whispered, going for the safest answer. "Um, but I don't really—"

"YEAH!" The commander cried, pumping a fist into the air like a child. "I win this one, Marco."

The Phoenix slammed his forehead onto the table and banged a fist angrily. Ace just looked at Falco as if she were insane.

"What's so great about that pompadour hairstyle, anyways?" Marco whined. Ace gave him a sly grin.

"Don't think you should be talkin', Pineapple-man," he teased. "It's probably your hairstyle that can't get you laid."

Marco seemed to wail in anguish, causing everyone to laugh.

"You know I've tried to change my hairstyle," he groaned. "It just won't work!"

"Remember the time when we tied the top of Ace's hair?" said Thatch. "He looked like a _baby_."

"I am _not_ a baby!" Ace screeched, jumping onto the table. "You guys have never shut up about the fact that I'm only ten years younger than you—"

" _Only_ ten?" Thatch grinned. "Ace, admit it. You're a kid."

"I'm _nineteen_!"

"Talking back to your elders?"

Ace lunged for Thatch, making the two crash to the ground. The entire crew turned to look at the commotion and burst out into cheers. Marco hauled the Fourth Division's commander back and put him into his seat.

"You guys never change," he rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, how old are you, Falco?"

The girl cocked her head to the side, trying to remember. "I think I'm around Ace's age… seventeen? Eighteen?"

"Seventeen."

Everyone's heads turned towards Whitebeard, who was chugging down a huge jar of sake. "I was there at your birth, Falco. I even know your birthday."

"Really?" Ace asked, eyes lighting up. "When is it?"

The captain gave him a sly grin. "I won't say. That'd spoil the surprise."

Ace's eyes shimmered with delight. "That's great! We should hold a surprise birthday party!"

Whitebeard laughed loudly, and everyone smiled at Ace's idea. "Gurararara! Possibly, if Falco decides to stay here for the next little while…"

"I feel like that's a bribe," Falco frowned.

The hall laughed at her response, and Falco too, couldn't help but chuckle a little. Ace smiled softly at at her happy expression before turning back to his food. He remembered when he was isolated as a child—he rarely spoke or smiled. But with Luffy and Sabo, and eventually the Whitebeard Pirates, he grew accustomed to the fun life of a pirate.

 _I'm sure there will be a day when you won't be burdened by your past too, Falco._ He thought, eating away.

* * *

 **Before I delve deeper into the story, I wanted to point out that Ace and Falco's romance isn't really typical.** **They're like kids—innocent and naive in their intentions. Ace isn't this massive playboy (which is how most authors portray him as, for some reason), and Falco isn't just this shy girl who's afraid to speak her mind. That's why even if I made them roommates, I didn't want it to seem scandalous or inappropriate.**

 **I know Falco's shy personality may be slightly irking to some people, but she'll change more and more as time goes on. Imagine not having anyone to really talk to for an entire decade, and then suddenly having the attention of 1600 people who observe you like a haw. Realistically, it'll take a while for her to break out of her shell and find who she really is.**

 **As a side note, this is one year prior to the start of _One Piece_** **—Ace is nineteen, and Falco is seventeen.**

 **As always, I hope to read your reviews, and thanks for reading!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **January 2019 Update:**

 **There were several major updates.**

 **I changed the name of Falco's swords.** **When I initially wrote this chapter, I wanted Falco to have a sword that contrasted Mihawk's Yoru, and for some reason I chose 'Morning Glory' (Asa no Eiko). Then I realized in Malkin's chapter, the island that he's getting married on is also called 'Morning Glory' (Asagao—I don't know where Asa no Eiko came from), and I wanted to change the name of her blade. Morning Glory didn't really sound right to me anymore, so I brainstormed until I reached Yoake (dawn), which contrasted Yoru (night).**

 **The name of her dull katana (previously unnamed) and her odachi (Ishikiri) also got changed to Hanamei and Sorahime, respectively. 'Hana' comes from the Japanese word 'flower, and 'mei' is the Chinese word for my favourite flower** **—the plum blossom. As for the odachi, I was trying to come up with names that related to 'light piercing the sky' or 'sword that reaches the heavens'** **—something like that. And while I was in class, we were talking about the movie _Gran Torino_ (2008), which I remembered was also the name of Deku's mentor in _Boku no Hero Academia_. And by chance, I happened to come across his real name** **—Sorahiko. I don't know what kanji he uses, but I assumed it meant 'Sky Prince' and thought that it was beautiful, so I went with 'Sky Princess' instead.**

 **As for Falco's Devil Fruit, I think I finally finished ironing out what it really is. It's a dragon-type Devil Fruit, with an iridescent colour scheme. Her wings aren't feather wings (like an angel), nor are they scales (like typical dragons). Instead, I'm imagining them more as large icicles (think many shimmering icicles pointing downwards into the shape of wings). Small scales also cover the top of her cheekbones, and her eyes look more like Mihawk's in this transformation. There's actually an entire backstory about her Devil Fruit (which should be obvious as her memories are linked to the Fruit), and that will be revealed as the story progresses. She also uses silver flames** **which cannot be extinguished but by her.**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:  
** **Guest666-69**


	3. Spring, By Chance

**A/N: As you guys probably know by now, Amare is another OC. She's pretty young (around eight or so) and is under the Second Division. She was Ace's only roommate before Falco and she is prone to swearing quite a bit (even though the rest of the crew tries to stop her). She's a fun little character so I hope you guys don't mind another OC in this story. She was never part of the 'main cast' when I first started this story, but she's now become an integral character.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Spring, By Chance**

* * *

 _Ignorance can be medicine_

 _And knowledge can be poison_

 _Choose carefully._

* * *

"Do you have heart problems?" Falco could hear Amare's annoyed tone. "Or like, clogged airways? A _party_ in this room is probably quieter than your snoring."

"Why you—" Ace muttered, followed by thundering footsteps.

Falco pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance and forced her eyes to open, squinting at the bright sun that shone through their small window. Her sleep had been so light that she didn't feel refreshed at all. All she could hear was Ace's horrendous snoring.

"Oh! She's awake!" said Amare, climbing off of Ace's back. "Hiya, Falco! Great weather outside, huh?"

Her mind was ringing at the loud voice. "I-I guess so."

It wasn't just Ace that was the problem—Amare had kicked and turned throughout the entire night, and Falco woke up every few minutes because she felt so nervous at the fact that she was sharing a bed with two other people. After a decade of sleeping alone in silence, she guessed that her body was not yet used to interacting with other people, not to mention the various habits they displayed during their slumber.

"Let's go, I want breakfast!" chirped the young girl, holding Ace's hand. " _Please?_ Otherwise, Marco and Thatch are going to eat all the pancakes, like the fatass—"

"Right!" Ace interrupted, picking her up into his arms. He tapped her nose playfully and smiled. "Except that there's going to be _plenty_ of pancakes for you to eat today, because Marco and Thatch aren't here at the moment."

Falco stopped rubbing her eyes for a moment and looked at Ace tiredly. _They're not here? Where are they?_

"Oh yeah, they went on a mission!" chirped Amare, climbing out of his arms and running out the door. "Race you!"

"That's not fair!" Ace called out, but the child was already gone. "Kids these days… come on, I know Marco and Thatch are gone, but it doesn't mean that there aren't other people who can clear the buffet table by themselves."

The girl clutched her stomach, feeling queasy. "Um… I think I'll eat later. I'm still tired from yesterday's fight."

Ace smirked and patted her on the head. "Alright. Give me a holler if you need anything though."

She nodded, lying back down on the bed. Shielding her eyes from the light using one arm, she thought about yesterday's ordeals, and how much her life had suddenly changed within twenty-four hours.

 _"She's a traitor who betrayed and tarnished her grandfather's legacy, and she'll one day leave you too, just when you need her the most. She cannot live, for she is too dangerous to both the Marines and the Pirates. Her lineage is too powerful for us to let her exist."_

So many thoughts were racing across her head. Her mother was previously a Marine and then ended up becoming a pirate, whereas her father was a pirate who ended up working for the Marines. Even though she obliged in joining the Whitebeard Pirates, she still didn't know which side was the right one for her. But why did Akainu want to kill her? And what had happened to her mother that made her angry enough to want to kill her father and her grandfather?

Truth be told, she felt slightly stung at those words. Why did it matter who her parents were? Why couldn't she just be herself, for who she simply was?

 _"Over my dead body will we let you take our sister! If you want her that badly, you'll have to face us first!"_

 _"Don't ever say that someone doesn't deserve to live because of their lineage. There's so much more to a person than their parents!"_

Despite the shocking battle, there was no denying how touched she felt when the people she barely knew defended her. She was so used to being alone and living by herself that she had forgotten how warm it felt to have friends and allies that stood by her side, no matter what her history was.

Falco heard the door opening, prompting her to open her eyes.

"Ace?" she said confusedly. "Are… you done already? Where's Amare?"

"Still going at the pancakes," he chuckled. "I brought you some warm tea. Figured it'll help your insides a bit."

Falco took it, feeling thankful. "That's kind of you. How was breakfast?"

"Good," he smiled sheepishly. "I actually came back early to give you tea and to let you know that we have a general meeting in ten minutes. Oyaji has invited you to come join us."

 _General meeting…_ She thought. "That's normally for commanders and vice-commanders only, right?"

Ace nodded. "Sometimes vice-commanders meet separately, but it's also a good way to meet your crewmates as well. Who knows, maybe you'll request for a division transfer once you meet the others."

Falco shrugged, doubting it. She liked being around Thatch, Marco, Ace, and Amare already.

"Um… thanks for defending me yesterday," she said, feeling sheepish. "You weren't obligated to do so."

Ace ruffled her hair and sat down on the bed next to her. "I know, but I meant what I said. Despite what other people tell you, I hope you'll be able to choose your own future, free from your family history."

Falco smiled, feeling a little bit better. Ace really was a kindhearted person.

"Having a family scares me as much as not having one," she quietly admitted, warm tea still in her hands.

The vice-commander raised an eyebrow but Falco shook her head quickly, not wanting to feel sad again. "What about you? Where are you from?"

Ace looked up at the ceiling, a nostalgic smile creeping up on his lips. "I was born on Baterilla Island in South Blue, but raised on Dawn Island. I don't have any memories of the former, but I have some incredible ones of the latter. I met my brothers there and eventually began my life as a pirate. Nothing too interesting."

 _"Don't forget that many of us, including—me, Thatch, Florence, Amare… have our own stories that are maybe as dark as your own."_ She remembered Marco's words.

Falco wanted to ask him. His _real_ story—the one that convinced him to join the Whitebeard Pirates, the one that made him into a pirate—

"Oh, time to go," Ace suddenly interrupted her thoughts, standing up. After gently taking the cup of tea out of her hands, Ace opened the door for her to exit.

Falco sighed softly at her missed chance. She had so many questions, but she found herself not yet having the courage to ask.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **III: Spring, By Chance**

* * *

"Is everyone here?" asked Whitebeard. They were situated in a massive room, with one of the biggest desks that Falco had ever seen. Despite the rumoured sixteen commanders, there were many seats that were empty.

Ace flipped through a clipboard next to Falco. "Marco and Thatch are out on a mission on Shiro Island. Jozu is still carrying out his duties. Haruta and Vista as well, are out for the time being. Where are the vice-commanders?"

"Not invited," said Whitebeard, crossing his arms. "They're actually having a meeting of their own, with some of the other staff members on board."

"Who's leading it?" a man with a pale face in a kimono asked. The pirate next to him—a well-built man with a dark bandana, also flipped through his clipboard.

"Probably one of Marco's vice-commanders. I think it's Mir."

"Mir's back?" Asked Ace, surprised. "Then Talis is probably here as well…"

Falco peered over the shoulder of a commander that looked more like the legendary fishmen than a human. Each page seemed to list some information about the crew or division.

"Division One is the strongest and the most famous division," Whitebeard explained to the girl. "It is lead by Marco, who you already know, and his vice-commanders are Mir and Talis. They're both female pirates, and incredibly talented as well. You should introduce yourself to them the next time you get a chance."

Falco nodded absentmindedly. From the list of names written on Ace's clipboard, Division Four did indeed have the smallest amount of members. Most divisions looked like it had over 100 people each, but Falco doubted that there were even fifty listed under Thatch's name.

"I've introduced Marco's division," the captain said. "Ace, why don't you introduce divisions Two to Five?"

"Well, there's me," he started off. "And as you know, we don't have a commander yet, but our vice-commanders are Teach, Carlos, and I. Jozu is the commander of Division Three, and he has a vice-commander named Moire. Thatch currently leads Division Four and has no vice-commanders yet. The Fifth Division's vice-commanders, Jumbo and Reagan, work under Vista—but the guy is on a mission at the moment."

Falco looked upwards thoughtfully, trying to memorize all the names. To think that she'd have to remember everyone—it made her stomach churn with worry.

"Take your time," the man in the kimono said. "There's about 1600 pirates in this crew! Even I sometimes mix the names up!"

 _Take your time?_ Falco sweatdropped. _I can barely remember what I did last week, much less 1600 names…_

"I wanted to bring everyone together for a general meeting today due to several issues," the captain started, flipping over a page. "As most of you have probably heard by now, Maria and Dracule Mihawk's daughter, Falco D. Mihawk, will be working under the Fourth Division with Thatch for the time being. Although I'd like to wholeheartedly welcome her, she is a prime target for the Marines right now, especially in the eyes of an admiral. She will need people to back her up at all times. On the seas, we will be able to protect her—but on land, I'd like for at least one or two people to accompany her so she won't be ambushed."

Falco nodded her thanks. "N-nice to meet you."

"How were things last night?" Whitebeard asked gently. "Did you get enough rest?"

 _No._ She thought, but nodded regardless.

"She's been great," Ace suddenly piped up. "Still a bit shy, but we had a decent conversation this morning."

The other commanders nodded in approval, smiling at Falco warmly. It had been a while since anyone had joined—officially or unofficially—the Fourth Division.

Whitebeard put his clipboard down and clasped his hands together. "The real problem begins now. Several weeks ago, I sent Carlos to deal with some issues on one of our protected territories. Because he has failed to return though, I have sent Jozu and Moire to bring him back, but they have some alarming news—Carlos has been captured."

A commander jumped up. "Captured?! How? Do we know where he is?"

The captain raised his hand to silence the commotion. "The two are still trying to figure everything out, but he knows that the Marines send reports weekly and transports prisoners on a bi-weekly basis, so we still have a bit of time left. Everything else is in the dark for now. We're guessing that the Marines are taking their time because Carlos doesn't have a bounty, so they don't realize that he's part of our crew."

He turned to look at all of his commanders. "I won't be able to plan anything until Jozu and Moire return, but I want everyone to be in top condition, should we need a large platoon to go rescue him. He went with four other members of the Second Division, so it's not going to be a small rescue. Understood?"

Everyone nodded stiffly.

The captain looked at Falco next. "And as for you, my dear, we will be arriving on land shortly. It's an island that is protected under my name, so you'll be safe to walk around, but take Ace with you. I figured you could buy some new clothes and other necessities as well. I'll also give you some allowance, but when you start going on missions, you can earn your own loot or split with other crewmates."

Falco nodded. "Thank you."

"The meeting is adjourned."

Once everyone stood up to leave, Falco also followed everyone out the door. She made sure she was several steps behind Ace, as the man looked uncharacteristically annoyed.

She sat down on a chair the moment she entered the room, but Ace simply fell forwards onto the bed, sighing in exasperation. Before she had a chance to ask what was wrong, however, Amare opened the door with a loud bang, startling the two.

"Hey!" She said cheerfully. "How did the general meeting go? I went to the vice-commander one but it was super boring. They were all wondering why you were in the commander meeting, Ace!"

 _Now that I think about it, Ace was the only vice-commander who was in that meeting!_ Falco thought. _Does this mean…?_

"I have a bad feeling," Ace grumbled. "I think he wants me to go save Carlos."

Amare reached for a stale piece of bread on the table. "I heard about that as well. Sucks to be you, huh, fukubuchou?"

"Shush."

The child frowned at the taste of the old bread before putting it down. "Oh yeah, I have a question for you!" she smiled, looking at Falco. "If your father is Dracule Mihawk, shouldn't your name be Dracule D. Falco? Why the D? And why the Mihawk instead of the Dracule?"

Ace propped himself up, looking curious as well. "You're right—I thought something felt a little off."

Falco shrugged nonchalantly. "I can't exactly remember why I reversed my name or why I don't use the surname, but it's how I've referred to myself as for as long as I can remember. Dracule D. Falco has never sounded right to me, so I was going to ask Oyaji about it later. Maybe he knows something."

"You said it."

Falco raised an eyebrow at Ace's comment. "What?"

"You called him Oyaji."

The girl blinked before breaking into a small smile, blushing as her shy features appeared again. "O-oh—I didn't even realize. It kinda sticks to your brain."

Ace smirked. "I know how you feel—I was like that when I first joined the crew as well. And as for your name, I'm really curious as to why it's been reversed. Let's ask the others when they're back."

Falco nodded, quickly starting to make a checklist in her mind of the things she needed to buy. She hadn't brought an extra change of clothes, and even though Florence had been kind enough to wash her off-shoulder blue knit as well as her green shorts, it felt uncomfortable sleeping in them.

Amare suddenly climbed up the bed and peered out the window. She jumped excitedly, grabbing Falco and Ace's hands.

"We've docked! Come on, let's go outside—I haven't been on land in _ages_!"

"We were just on Root Island—"

"Details!" The child cried, pushing them out the door. "Minor details! And fukubuchou, that was for a _mission_. We didn't get to have any fun!"

"We got to fight though," Ace pointed out. "That was something we hadn't done in a while."

 _And I got shot._ Falco wanted snort, walking down the dock to the sand below. "Where are we?"

"Rokugan Island," Ace explained after a brief pause. "It's protected under Oyaji's name, which means that no other pirates or Marines can come here, unless they want to face his wrath. Root Island was also protected this way as well, until your grandfather found out that you were residing there."

Falco looked around curiously—this was the first island she'd ever stepped foot on since she had left Root Island. Although her hometown was famous for its crammed alleyways and its orangey-brown rooftops that always baked under the sun, Rokugan Island had a more tropical feel to it. Large trees towered over merchant stores and food stands. Kids and adults milled about, enjoying the sunny day.

"What do you need to get?" Amare asked curiously, still holding onto Falco's hand. The girl looked upwards, trying to recall her list.

"Um… shower supplies," she started off, subconsciously stroking her hazel hair. "And clothes—this is the only thing I have on me right now. Maybe some new shoes."

Ace nodded. "Alright, let's go look for some clothes first, since I'm sure that'll take the longest time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amare frowned.

"Nothing, nothing," the vice-commander chuckled, holding hands with Amare. The young girl squealed with delight as Ace suddenly picked her up and swung her around, making Falco smile gently as well.

When she first saw Ace and Amare, they felt more like partners-in-crime, battling the Marines and rescuing her in perfect sync, even though they had a large age gap. Now, they seemed more like siblings, with Ace ceaselessly making her smile and Amare's tasteful insults towards the older man.

Shaking her head slightly, Falco jogged towards them, a faint smile on her lips.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **III: Spring, By Chance**

* * *

" _How_ ," Ace seethed. "Can a person walk _this_ much?!"

Amare and Falco smiled teasingly at Ace, enjoying their ice-creams. The younger girl smiled happily at her chocolate-mint cone. "For a man who boasts about becoming the next commander of the Second Division, you sure get tired easily!"

Falco also kept her gaze towards her pistachio ice-cream, feeling slightly mischievous. "Should we go for round two?"

"NO!" Ace yelled, causing the two girls to laugh.

"Well, well," a familiar voice said. "What do we have here?"

The group looked up to find two faces they recognized instantly. Falco began to feel anxious, not yet used to the older men.

"Marco! Thatch!" Amare said first. "What are you guys doing here? Oyaji said you two were on a mission!"

The Fourth Division's commander picked the child up and tapped her nose playfully. "We just wanted to see our favourite princess as fast as possible! Broke my heart every hour without your adorable little face."

The young girl snorted. "Ha! As if. I call bullshi—"

"When did you guys get back?" Ace interrupted. "And how was the mission?"

Thatch placed the girl down gently next to Falco. "It was successful. Can't believe those damn small-fries thought they could take control of Shiro Island without Oyaji knowing. Idiots."

"We just got back a few minutes ago," explained Marco. "Saw a massive pile of… things. Wondered what it was."

"Oh," said Ace, glancing at all of their shopping bags full of goods. "Falco went a bit… overboard. We literally visited every single shop on this island. Didn't help that Oyaji gave her a massive allowance—it's so obvious he's playing favourites."

Amare frowned. "Don't say that. You're just hurt because he loves her more than you, since she's cooler."

"Was that a pun? Because it was really bad."

"What do you mean—oh," she realized, remembering his Devil Fruit abilities. "Since you're hot like fire? Please, even I can't come up with jokes that bad."

Before Amare came up with another insult, Falco reached into a bag and pulled out some napkins, dabbing Amare's face gently. Curious as to what she was doing, the young girl looked down at her shirt where there were puddles of green and brown swirls. Her ice-cream had melted, making her hands turn sticky and gross—she wouldn't have been surprised if her face was also covered with the dessert.

"Hold on," said Falco, shoving the rest of her ice-cream into Ace's mouth, who yelled out in surprise. After fishing through a few shopping bags, she grabbed a little packet and took some wet-wipes out, gently cleaning the mess.

Amare's eyes widened. "Thanks…"

Marco smiled and raised an eyebrow at the action. "Falco won't talk to us comfortably, but she'll mom the kid. Looks like you're pretty lucky, Amare."

But the young girl didn't reply, emerald eyes looking carefully at Falco's concentrated expression.

"We're definitely going to have to wash this," the swordsman muttered, unable to get the stain out of Amare's shirt. "But I grabbed a few outfits for you as well, so you'll have a variety to choose from."

Ace swallowed the rest of her ice-cream cone. "When did you have the time to do that?"

Falco smiled gently, tossing the dirty wet-wipes into the trash can. "I grabbed whatever I thought was cute and bought it. Wanted it to be a surprise but I realized I didn't even know when Amare's birthday is. I wonder why I bought them so impulsively..."

Amare's eyes widened. "Do you even know what size I am?"

The girl winked, smiling confidently. "I know everything about you already."

Thatch patted the top of Amare's head and gave her a fatherly smile. "Well isn't that nice! Looks like you got yourself one hell of a friend, huh?"

"Yeah," the young girl nodded. "Thanks, Falco. You didn't need to do that for me."

Falco casually waved it off, grabbing a few shopping bags. "No need to thank me—it's Oyaji's money anyways."

Amare smiled, no words coming out of her mouth. It felt nice to be taken care of. Shaking her head, she turned to look at the two commanders and pointed demandingly at the shopping bags on the ground.

"Since you two are both here, grab some bags and let's head home—I'm getting kind of hungry."

" _Now_ you're hungry?" Ace asked incredulously, grabbing an armful of colourful shopping bags. "And I didn't buy any of this junk!"

"Why do I have to carry this?" Thatch whined. "Wait. Oh my, is that your—"

"DON'T LOOK!" Amare screeched, throwing a shoebox at the commander's face as Falco stared in horror. "Who said you could look through her things?! A lady's clothes are _private_ , buchou! This is why you're single!"

Thatch looked heartbroken and hung his head down, muttering something about not getting enough respect from his juniors. The rest of the group laughed as Marco picked up a few bags of his own. "I _told_ you we should've just turned back and greet them on board. C'mon, little one, we're hungry too."

Amare grabbed Marco's hand and walked towards the sandy shore where the _Moby Dick_ was docked at. She didn't feel hungry at all, to be honest. Her attention was solely on the backs of Ace and Falco, who were talking to each other as they walked side-by-side behind the setting sun.

The young girl smiled softly as she followed the four adults back to the _Moby Dick_.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **III: Spring, By Chance**

* * *

"What's the point?"

Thatch put his pot down immediately. Ace stopped cutting mid-way into a carrot. Amare accidentally nicked herself with a small knife, quietly muttering out a curse. Florence gave Amare a reprimanding look.

All of them stared at Falco with disbelief.

At that moment, Whitebeard entered the kitchen, looking at the group curiously. "I thought you guys had left already—why is it so quiet? That's not like you guys."

"Oyaji," Thatch breathed. "I don't think Falco suits our family at all."

Marco nodded in agreement. "He's right—we should drop her off on the next island."

"She doesn't see the _point_ of it…" Florence muttered, shaking her head in awe.

Falco immediately froze, wondering if she had said something insulting. "I-I'm sorry, was it something I said—"

"IT'S A _PICNIC,_ " Ace cried, running over to Falco and shaking her. "You don't see the point of a _picnic_?!"

Falco raised her two hands in alarm. "You… might want to put the knife down first, Ace."

Amare looked up at Thatch and Marco innocently. "I've always thought that they were pretty dumb, to be honest."

This time, all of the adults stared at the young child. Thatch picked Amare up and turned her left and right, then shook her up and down. "You look fine to me."

"Wha— _no_ ," Amare sighed, moving next to Falco. "I'm just saying that I don't see the point of going outside and getting our precious food cold while sand goes up my ass."

Florence glared at the commanders. "Thatch, Marco—I'm putting this one on you guys. Look at how you've made Amare talk!"

"I don't see why you're so anal about this," Thatch muttered, puckering his lips. "She's always been a bit of a potty-mouth."

Ace went up to Amare and crouched down so he was eye-to-eye with her. "You're supposed to be the one who's the most excited about this. We've been on picnics before."

Amare rolled her eyes at the vice-commander. "And I left early every time! Marco and Thatch stuff themselves to no end so their _jubako's_ are twice my height—and they make _me_ carry it. Oyaji only drinks, and you're a human heater so you can't even feel the cold!"

Falco looked up at Florence. "What do you do?"

"Me?" the nurse asked innocently. "I like to watch them stuff their faces until they start to choke. Then I try to help them by testing out some experiments and perform emergency medical care if I have to."

Falco sweatdropped. _Why did I even ask…_

"The point is," Ace started. "We're a family. And families go on picnics. And they have fun. So we're going to do the same."

"Yeah!" Marco, Thatch, and Florence all cried, pumping their fists into the air.

"Pack your bentos, everyone!"

"Yeah!"

Falco watched the trio scramble around, stuffing as much food as they could into the small, six-layered tower. Thatch nonchalantly picked up a barrel of what Falco presumed was beer, earning a scolding from Florence about the negative effects of alcohol.

The girl couldn't help the smile creeping up on her lips and giggled, causing Amare and Whitebeard to look at her. She blushed in embarrassment but continued to watch the group with a warm gaze.

Whitebeard too, gave her a small grin. "They all used to hate picnics."

Falco looked up with surprise. "Really?"

"It was your mother that got them into it," Whitebeard explained, thinking about the late commander. "I guess she never had a chance to enjoy things normal families did due to the rigid rule of her father. I don't even think she knew what a picnic was until she saw a different family do it when we visited an island."

 _"Families have picnics! So we're going to do the same!"_

 _"Yeah!"_

 _"Pack your bentos, everyone!"_

 _"Yeah!"_

"I guess it's more like a tradition to us now," the captain smiled, watching Marco and Ace bicker over drumsticks. "Every time we dock, these guys try to have a picnic as long as time allows it. Not a lot of people join them, per say, especially when they try to have one in the evening."

"What are you talking about, Oyaji?" smirked Thatch, a barrel in one hand and a bento box in another. "Who says eating under the stars and the moonlight isn't a picnic? Let's go already—I saw a few tables on the shore that we could use."

Amare rolled her eyes. "Great, no sand up my ass this time."

"Amare!" Florence cried again. "Language!"

Marco laughed loudly, carrying a few bentos of his own. "What's the point in stopping her? We talk like shit ourselves—we're such a bad influence, aren't we?"

"Commander!"

Whitebeard smiled at their antics and followed them out, grabbing another jar of sake as he did so.

Falco continued to watch them all bicker, feeling warm and nostalgic inside. It felt nice to know that people were still carrying on her mother's tradition, even if she had passed away a decade ago. She couldn't help but feel regretful that she could not have a picnic with her own parents, but decided in the end that her current family would have to make up for it.

 _No_. She shook her head. _You can't think like that. These guys aren't your family. Wake up._

"What are you shaking your head for?"

She looked up in surprise and almost jumped when she saw Ace standing before her, looking at her worriedly.

"I-I thought you left already."

"Nope," he shook his head. Giving her a huge grin, he held out a pink package, which she realized was a _jubako_ of her own.

"When did you—"

"Just now," he smiled, taking his apron off and tossing it to the floor. "It's pretty messy—I can't make mine look as nice as Florence's, but food is food. Now let's go—I have to show you what a picnic is all about."

"But," Falco stuttered, surprised. "Um. Thank you."

Ace raised an eyebrow curiously and sighed when he saw the girl's nervous expression.

"Every time I think we're getting closer, you give me that look."

The girl looked up. "What look?"

"Like you'd rather be with anyone else but me."

Falco looked up in surprise, feeling apologetic immediately. "O-oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Ace gave her a good-natured smile. "It's fine, you've only been with us for like what—a day now? I just noticed that you don't always look the most comfortable around me."

Falco shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude. But um, it's not just you—I'm not used to being around many people, so I get a little anxious around crowds. But even if I don't seem like it, I... I'm pretty comfortable around you."

Ace raised an eyebrow and gave Falco a stare, making her more nervous before he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into their room.

"What—"

Ace didn't say anything as he opened up all of their drawers and cupboards, tossing things out, desperately looking for something. When he couldn't find what he was looking for, he opened the closet and climbed inside, digging through massive piles of clothes.

"Found it!" Ace cried, holding out a large book triumphantly. He dusted its leather cover off before handing it over to Falco, who gingerly took the giant book from his hands.

When she opened it, there was nothing inside. Every page was empty.

"It's a diary," he explained. "I bought it for myself years ago, but you can have it. I've never used it, as you can probably tell."

Falco blinked in surprise, gently stroking the faded leather cover. "Thank you, Ace."

The vice-commander peered at the girl who strangely looked more uncomfortable.

 _Did I do something offensive?_ The man asked himself worriedly. _Was the gift excessive?_

"Do… you not like it?" he asked carefully. The girl shook her head and embraced it tightly towards herself.

"N-no. It's… it's just that I don't know how to read… or write…" she said very quietly.

Ace blinked, feeling dumbfounded. "Wait… are you telling me that you're illiterate?"

At this point, Falco just wanted to throw herself out of the window. "Y-yeah. I think I used to be able to read though. But once I lost the ability, I couldn't teach myself anymore..."

He continued staring at her in shock, but then remembered his younger days when he learned how to read and write from Makino. He smiled affectionately and ruffled her hair.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "Nothing to be embarrassed about. I'll teach you if you want—it's not hard and I'm sure you'll be able to pick it up in no time."

"Will you keep it a secret?" she asked. "I mean, Amare will probably find out sooner or later but the others…"

"I doubt they'd care," he shrugged. "But if that's what makes you comfortable, then sure. Your secret is safe with me."

Falco gave him a warm smile. "Thanks, Ace."

 _This must've been why her amnesia got so bad._ Ace realized. _She couldn't keep a diary or anything to keep track of her days, so she just helplessly forgot as time went on._

"Um, I appreciate the gift, but why are you giving this to me?" she asked, jolting him awake from his thoughts. "I mean, it's lovely, but you weren't obligated to give me anything. I've hardly done anything for you."

The vice-commander scratched his head sheepishly. "I also used to have a rough time opening up to other people, but I thought that I started to communicate better once I started writing. I don't write as much anymore, but I thought it may help you—especially with your amnesia."

For some reason, Falco could feel tears prickling her eyes. "That's really kind of you."

"It's nothing," he smiled. He gently took the book out of her hands and grabbed her wrist once more, exiting the room. "Let's go eat dinner now—I don't know about you, but I'm _starving_."

A small blush formed on her cheeks as she silently followed behind the vice-commander, glancing at his warm hand that was enclasped around her wrist.

Once they got onto the shore, they could see the group happily eating away on a picnic bench with a few other crew members that Falco didn't recognize. Whitebeard was sitting on the sand with several more pirates, drinking sake as he stared at the ocean waves in front of him.

"Hey," Ace started, releasing his grip. The two slowed down to a stop, with Falco looking curiously at the tattooed back of the vice-commander.

"I don't really know who Maria is," he started cautiously, turning around to face the girl. "But Marco and Thatch… Oyaji and Florence as well. They talk about her from time to time."

Something in Falco's heart suddenly felt like it was breaking. She too, often thought of her mother during her long time alone on Root Island.

"I know that in retrospect, you don't really know us," he continued. "But they know you. And because Maria was once part of our family, that makes you one of us as well."

She desperately tried her best to zone out from the conversation and not listen to Ace's words, but it was too hard to fight against the temptation.

"I've had people by my side for a long, long time. But I did, at one point, have no one. Just like you. Thankfully, it wasn't for a decade, and I've had lots of family members and friends by my side since then, but I know how you feel. It's… it's not easy to be completely alone and isolated."

A tear trickled down her face as Ace continued to talk.

"I'm not sure if it's my place to say anything like this," he chuckled, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "But…"

Before Ace could finish his sentence, Falco dropped her _jubako_ and fell to her knees, sobbing.

"Hey, isn't that Falco and Ace?" she could hear Florence's worried voice.

"I think she's crying!"

"C'mon, let's go!"

She covered her face with her hands, wiping the tears away.

"It—it was so hard," she sputtered. "To always be alone and having no one to rely on. When I got shot—I really thought I was going to die that day."

Amare crouched down next to her and picked up the _jubako,_ dusting the sand from the bottom of the bag. She handed it over to Thatch, who was looking at Falco with a warm expression.

"I c-couldn't remember anything," she hiccuped. "And all I knew was that the Marines were a-after me, so I had to protect myself until I got strong enough. I wanted to make friends. I w-wanted a family. I just wanted to be born with normal parents and live an ordinary life so I wouldn't have to fight against something I didn't want to."

Ace gently lowered her hands. Although her sight was still blurry from her tears, she could make out the worried faces of Florence, Marco, Thatch, Ace, and Amare.

She tried to stop herself from crying, but the fears and worries that she had suppressed for the past ten years seemed to wash over her at that instant. Guarding her heart—preventing herself from talking to other people and making friends was something she was used to. But in front of these people—her mother's family, she felt a strange sense of relief and peace.

Ace suddenly reached forward to embrace her. Amare wriggled between them, enjoying their warmth. Florence smiled, gently wiping a tear away as she watched the trio. Marco and Thatch glanced at each other, a wave of nostalgia washing over them.

"You're safe with us," Ace said softly. "You've worked hard, fighting alone all this time. I know whatever I say can't convince you to join us, but don't ever forget that you're part of the Whitebeard Pirates, and we're your family now."

Amare closed her eyes, feeling peaceful between Ace's warmth and Falco's choked sobs.

"So don't fight alone anymore."

* * *

 **This chapter was quite simple with not a lot of exciting events, but a bit more about Falco's past is revealed, as well as a small amount of fluff. The pacing has been weird (we're three chapters in but technically only one day through in the _One Piece_ universe), but it won't be this slow for long.**

 **I'm not sure which commanders will make a major appearance in the story, but as of now, the 'main' group consists of Falco, Ace, Florence, Marco, Thatch, Amare, and occasionally Whitebeard.**

 **Florence: the head nurse (technically doctor) of the entire crew who works primarily under Marco's division. She's based off of the nurse with the long, blonde hair standing next to Whitebeard (if you search up Whitebeard's nurses on Google, she's the one on the right bandaging him).**

 **Amare: a young girl who is bubbly and energetic. She likes to swear even though the crew tries to stop her and has a Devil Fruit that gives her accuracy. She has black hair which is in a ponytail, dark emerald eyes, and wears a loose black tank-top with white straps and hems with green shorts and black sandals.**

 **Falco: a seventeen-year-old swordsman with wavy, hazel hair and bouncy bangs. She has large, golden eyes which look similar to Maria (her mothers') blue ones and wears an off-shouldered royal blue sweater, green shorts, and black boots. She carries an odachi on her back and two katanas on her right side (so when she pulls them out, the left hand holds the katana correctly whereas her right hand holds her blade in a reverse grip).**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Story notes:**

 **Jubako: Tiered/stack of bento boxes**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:  
Guest666-69**

* * *

 **January 2019 Update:**

 **Not a lot of plot-related changes. Few tweaks here and there. The only major edits were in the A/N where I described the appearances of Florence, Amare, and Falco.**


	4. Ducere

**A/N: This is the first extra/filler chapter that was strictly made for more AcexFalco moments but it ended up barely having any fluff and a** ** _lot_** **of action, so I really enjoyed writing it! As always, please leave a review!**

 **-Jae**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Ducere**

* * *

 _To be forced to fight_

 _Is death itself_

 _To not be in control of your own future_

 _Is weakness._

* * *

Falco picked her pen up and felt its smooth edges along her skin. For now, she just wanted to get used to the feel of holding it. Ace had taught her all the basic letters and characters, but it still looked wobbly.

 _Holding a sword is easier._ She thought cryptically, smiling at the inked pen.

It was two weeks since she had met the Whitebeard Pirates. All her days so far consisted of so much joy that she felt herself subconsciously lose track of time. Even Ace's snoring, something she had detested before, seemed like a lullaby now. But alongside her joy was also worry, consistently questioning herself if it was okay to be this happy. She hadn't practiced once since that last battle with the Marines on deck and she could already feel herself getting slower and slower.

As for the rescue mission, Marco announced that it would be delayed due to tracking difficulties, as well as the lack of communication between the main fleet and the Third Division's commander, Jozu, who couldn't be reached.

She could hear Ace's soft snoring and Amare rustling on the bed next to her. Smiling softly, she stood up and tucked the young girl in. When she went to the vice-commander though, she hesitated for a moment.

 _"So don't fight alone anymore."_

His words had echoed in her mind throughout the past two weeks, always making her smile. She still wasn't completely used to everyone, but it made her happy that there was now an actual place that she could call home.

Falco looked at the peaceful face of Ace sleeping. It was easy to approach Amare and tuck her in or give her a hug, but it wasn't always like that with the vice-commander. She felt that it made them seem too close. Ace, she found out, was pretty popular with almost everyone within the crew. He had been spending so much time with her that she figured he didn't have a lot of friends outside of their current group, but that seemed to be completely untrue.

Ace was young and good looking—but that wasn't all. He was also ridiculously strong, and even Marco had mentioned that he probably wasn't as strong as Ace in his twenties, so everyone was looking forward to his growth. Despite his childish nature at times, there was a strong sense of responsibility when it came to his crew members, and his unwavering loyalty towards Whitebeard made him a strong candidate for the commander position.

Falco found it increasingly harder to approach Ace the more she found out about him. He already seemed miles away when Falco had first joined the crew, but that distance seemed even greater and more daunting now.

She pursed her lips and tore her gaze away from the sleeping vice-commander, turning around to grab a cup of tea.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her backwards, causing the girl to fall onto the bed.

Ace flipped her over so that she was below him, their faces only inches apart.

"A-Ace—"

He grinned at her flushed face but didn't say anything, opting to just pin her down silently. Falco could feel her heart pounding, and she was pretty sure that she was warmer than the Mera Mera no Mi user at that moment. It was the first time she had seen someone's face so close and it made her feel... nervous.

"What are you doing up so early?" he finally asked, playfully tapping her nose and standing up. Falco cleared her throat and sat up, feeling awkward.

"I went to sleep pretty early yesterday," she whispered, not looking at him. "What about you?"

The vice-commander opened the door and grinned at her. "I was hungry. C'mon, let's go eat some breakfast."

The girl was about to decline his offer but then realized that the dining hall was practically empty this early in the morning. Smiling slightly, she nodded and trailed after him.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **IV: Ducere**

* * *

The dining hall, surprisingly, wasn't as empty as she thought it would be. A few people were already beginning to eat, as the food had been prepped early.

Ace inhaled the greasy scent of bacon and eggs and sighed happily. "We should eat before the others get here."

Falco quietly grabbed a plate and placed some bacon as well as a pancake. Ace, on the other hand, had dishes lined up on his arm as he put mountains of food on top of it.

"It's breakfast," Falco pointed out. "Aren't you going to get sick from eating all of that?"

He laughed heartily. "Of course not! I could probably clear this entire table."

 _I have no doubt that you can._ Falco thought cryptically. Grabbing herself a cup of warm tea, she put down her dishes to begin eating.

"Vice-Commander Ace!" Someone called out. The two looked up curiously at the voice. Falco saw two beautiful women—one with long, black hair and the other with short grey hair—wave at their direction.

"Mir! Talis!" Ace smiled brightly. "C'mon, let's go eat with them."

The girl felt hesitant but followed his lead, nonetheless. Ace sat next to the black-haired woman, and she sat next to the grey-haired one.

"Falco, these guys are the vice-commanders of Marco's division," Ace introduced them with a smile. He pointed at the black-haired lady. "Mir."

"And I'm Talis," the grey-haired woman said. "You must be Falco—we already heard a lot about you from our commander."

"Oh," she smiled, feeling awkward. "N-nice to meet you."

"No, no," Mir said, picking up a piece of Ace's bacon with her fork. "We saw her once as a dragon up on deck two weeks ago, remember? When the Marines tried to invade us?"

Talis nodded. "Right. I almost forgot about that."

Ace glared at Mir before taking some of her eggs. "Speaking of which, I heard you guys went on a mission. How did it go?"

"Good," Mir seethed. "Stop taking my food, you pig."

"P-pig?" Ace sputtered. "You eat almost as much as me!"

Mir grabbed one of Ace's plates and stuffed everything in her mouth, shocking Falco. "Well that's a shame because now you have _no food_!"

Talis sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry—those two fight all the time. But they're close because they've been on a lot of missions together."

"You come too," Mir pointed out, stabbing Ace with her fork. "And don't get the wrong idea, miss. We're close because our fighting styles are compatible with each other."

Ace yelled out in pain. "OW! You little—"

"Mir has the Kaze Kaze no Mi," Talis cut him off. "And Ace has the Mera Mera no Mi. Mir's devil fruit can effectively enhance Ace's fire attacks, so they're a power combo."

 _Power combo?_ Falco sweatdropped, looking at the two vice-commanders who were fighting over the last piece of bacon. _They look like they want to kill each other…_

"What about you guys?" Mir asked, finally settling down. Falco could tell that Mir had won the short brawl as she munched away happily while Ace looked sullen. "Heard you were rooming with Ace. Have you gotten any sleep yet?"

Talis looked at Falco seriously. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Ace rubbed his eyes in weariness. "This snoring joke is getting so old—you guys know it's not _that_ bad."

"Yeah it's not bad. It's horrendous," Mir nodded. "I always got a separate room from you, remember?"

Ace looked astonished. "You said that was because you sleepwalked!"

Mir and Talis doubled over, laughing. "You actually believed that? Has anyone even seen me sleepwalk?"

The vice-commander looked at Falco begrudgingly. "To be honest, I think Marco and Thatch snore louder than me."

"Put the three together and you get the overnight symphony of death," Talis smirked. "We're just messing with you, Ace. You all snore really loudly."

"…Thanks?" He went, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He suddenly stood up and grabbed the empty plates, frowning at Mir.

"I'm going to refill my plate now that this… _thing_ devoured my entire meal in one go. Need anything, Falco?"

The girl shook her head. "N-no, I still have some food left."

Ace shrugged and went over to the buffet table, piling up his dishes again. The moment he was gone though, Mir jumped over the table and sat next to Falco. Both of the vice-commanders leaned in closer, mischievous looks on their faces.

"So what's actually going on with you and Ace?" Talis asked, nudging her playfully. "You interested in him?"

Falco's face turned red instantly as she thought about how close Ace's face had been this morning. "I-I barely even know him!"

"Really?" asked Mir, giving her a teasing smile. "Because I know that I wouldn't be comfortable sleeping with someone like Ace on a nighty basis."

"Stop," laughed Talis. "You said you were over Ace!"

Falco looked at the two women confusedly. O _ver him?_

Talis slightly turned her head to look at the vice-commander. "Okay, I don't go for younger men so this feels weird for me to say, but you have to give it to the guy. He's cute. Even Mir liked him for a while."

" _Stop_ ," the other vice-commander laughed. "I'm pretty sure every girl on this ship has liked him at one point or another. He's good-looking, strong, polite, and works hard. What's not to like?"

Falco blinked, feeling even more distanced from Ace. "Oh. Has he had a lot of… you know…"

"Girlfriends?" Mir said, looking at the ceiling to think. "I don't think so. At least not during the time he was part of the Whitebeard Pirates. He's definitely a romantic for adventure and stuff, but he's too preoccupied in trying to make Oyaji the next pirate king, so he's not that interested in relationships."

"Which is also why Mir gave up so quickly," Talis teased. "But I knew from the start so I didn't even bother."

The black-haired vice commander looked thoughtful for a moment. "But now that I think about it, Ace isn't really the type of person to be very open—maybe that's why he hasn't dated much. Sure, he's funny and nice to everyone on the crew, but he rarely talks about himself. It's hard to get to know him."

"Then again, everyone has their reasons for joining the Whitebeard Pirates," said Talis, smiling softly. "Ace probably has his own story that he doesn't want to share."

"I know that," said Mir. "I just mean… despite how much he talks and hangs out with everyone, no one still _knows_ him very well."

Falco wanted to ask more about Ace, but she felt a hand rest gently on her head.

"Hey," Ace said. "Let's go—I finished eating."

 _How long has he been standing there for?!_ Falco thought, crying internally.

Mir looked confused. "Already? How?"

The vice-commander shrugged. "Just did. Anyways, we're going back to our room now, so I'll see you guys later."

"Bye," said Talis in a sing-song voice. "Don't to anything you're not supposed to!"

"Very funny," Ace rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Let's go."

The girl nodded, standing up. She didn't really have an appetite anyways—Mir and Talis were nice, but they were still a bit overwhelming for her. Plus, she didn't want to think of her roommate in _that_ way.

Falco quietly followed Ace down the hall and back into the room. The man immediately fell onto the bed, sighing happily.

"I'm sorry, I should've asked if you wanted to sit with Mir and Talis," the man said quietly. Falco looked up in surprise.

"No, it's fine!" she insisted, putting on a smile. "They're really nice and funny—everyone seems to be friendly here!"

Ace chuckled. "That's good. I'm glad."

Falco blinked, suddenly thinking of something. _Did he… take me back to the room because he could tell I wasn't comfortable?_

She gazed softly at the man resting on the bed. _He didn't need to be so considerate..._

"Where's Amare?" she asked, suddenly realizing that the young girl was nowhere to be seen. "She was sleeping before we left."

The vice-commander shrugged, snuggling into bed. "I dunno. That kid disappears from time to time, but she'll be back eventually." The moment he said so, however, the door flung open, revealing the young girl.

"Hey! I heard my name," she grinned, skipping next to Falco's side.

The swordsman smiled back. "We were just wondering where you went."

"I was on the deck," she shrugged. "Watched the sun rise. Oh, guess what? We're going to have the Ducere Tournament today!"

Ace practically threw the sheets off of him, jumping up. "WHAT?! How come I wasn't informed of this?"

"It's like… six in the morning," said Amare. "Oyaji decided late last night and was planning on revealing it in today's general meeting. We're near the island."

Ace looked out the window, where the sun was still continuing to rise. "Right… I'm just not used to waking up this early."

"Ace is always late to his generals," Amare explained. "I know because he wakes me up every time he forgets, screaming about how much of an idiot he is for sleeping through his alarm."

"I can never hear it go off!" he pouted. "And it's hard to remember when we have meetings."

"You can't hear it because your snoring is louder," Amare scoffed. "Anyways, you don't have to go today since this was the only news that was supposed to be delivered.

"You sure?" asked Ace. "Then again, we did just have a general yesterday…"

Falco blinked, feeling confused. "Uh… what is this Ducere Tournament?"

Amare went to her side and jumped up and down excitedly. Falco noted with affection that she was wearing one of the blue summer dresses she bought for her.

"It's like a _massive_ scavenger hunt!" she exclaimed. "Oyaji hides treasures all over the island and we go search for them! We're not allowed to use our Devil Fruit abilities but we're given guns if we want to fight."

Falco looked shocked. "Guns?!"

"She means paintball guns," Ace smiled. "Devil Fruit users must also wear vests with a little bit of kairoseki in them—otherwise people like Amare would slay us all. There's a lot of small treasures everywhere on the island, but there's one major prize. Each participant is given a clue in the beginning and you can take the clues of every person you've shot down, though you can't take their prizes."

"And you can band into groups to strengthen your chances of winning!" smiled Amare. "But then you'd have to split whatever you find, so most people go solo."

Just as Falco was about to comment, someone knocked on the door.

"Vice-Commander Ace?" A pirate asked, standing outside. "We were getting ready for the Ducere Tournament. Will all of you be participating?"

"Hell yeah!" he cried, jumping up. He glanced at Falco. "You will too, right?"

Falco nodded. "I'm down for some prizes."

"Count me in!" smiled Amare. "This is my favourite event!"

The three began to put on their jackets when Ace said: "Even though the vests have a bit of kairoseki—causing our powers to nullify—Amare is still a really good shooter. She almost won the last time we played."

"Yeah, if it weren't for that stupid phoenix," she muttered, clipping the vest on. "I'm going to freaking roast him this time."

"Marco beat her when we played last month," explained Ace. "You good to go?"

"Yeah, said Falco, checking her straps. "I'm actually kind of excited now. I don't need to talk to anyone, just shoot them, right?"

"That's the plan."

"Sweet."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **IV: Ducere**

* * *

Falco held the large rifle nervously with her hand, feeling slightly anxious. She was separated from Ace and Amare who were stationed elsewhere on the island. From quite a distance away, she could see another pirate that she did not recognize—perhaps he was on one of the other three ships.

 _"When the race starts, you'll feel a vibration from the ground,"_ she remembered Amare saying. _"That's from Oyaji's devil fruit power—the Gura Gura no Mi. Once that happens, you can start moving around and start searching or shooting."_

Falco wasn't a big fan of guns. She considered birds to bee one of the freest animals on earth, having the ability to soar the skies without any restrictions—but firearms were one of the only things that could always kill them. Though guns were the main weapons for this event, she was glad that the rules allowed her to carry her swords—a katana and an odachi, since there were no real advantages or disadvantages in doing so.

But on the other hand, this could be an easy way for her to get to know her other crew members. She would gladly accept any alliances because getting to know others was more important than finding loot.

Just at that moment, the ground shook violently and swept her off her feet. The girl looked around frantically, feeling shocked.

 _Whitebeard really isn't someone to be messed with._ She thought, amazed at his power. The island, by no means, was small. In front of her was a massive forest, and she could only see one other person within her vicinity. Even so, Whitebeard had shaken the entire land which had created massive waves behind her, and she was quite inland.

The pirate that she saw earlier started heading into the forest, looking around suspiciously. Falco watched his movements carefully and realized that going in was probably safer, since the trees and bushes could hide her better.

Grasping the gun in one hand, she too, headed towards the massive jungle.

 _Oh yeah, the clue._ She realized, bringing it out of her pocket. The only thing on it were the numbers '1-1' and a tiny portion of what she assumed was a larger map. It was her goal to find an ally so he or she could help her understand the final clue.

 _And it's also why we have to eliminate as many people as possible._ She realized. _To collect all the pieces since we don't know what the final map looks like. And I wouldn't be surprised if hundreds of us had the same hint as well._

She quietly maneuvered through the green forest, staying cautious of her surroundings. Most of her training on Root Island had been in a forest and she'd practiced her camouflage and stealth abilities extensively as well, so she wasn't worried about being caught in surprise.

The girl almost stepped into the open but immediately halted when she saw two crew members standing some distance away from each other. She immediately ducked behind a bush and peered through the leaves, watching anxiously.

"Let's be allies!" a tall crew member with a red bandana said. The other member, who she recognized as the Fifth Division's vice-commander, Reagan, smirked and held up his gun.

"Sorry, but I'll have to decline. I'm aiming for the top _alone_."

With that, he shot several rounds mercilessly. The crew member tried his best to dodge and shoot the vice-commander back, but Reagan had merely sidestepped with incredible speed.

 _What an amazing reaction time…_ Falco thought, watching them in awe. _Whitebeard's vice-commanders truly have been well-trained._

The crew member was drenched in pink paint by the time Reagan had stopped firing. He looked downcast as he handed over his clue, but Reagan also didn't look amused.

"We have the same clue," he muttered, frowning. The crew member looked at him with disbelief.

"I _told_ you we should've been allies!" he cried, but Reagan merely smirked and patted him on his back.

"It was a good match. Better luck next year."

Falco watched the two converse a bit more before before holding her gun and aiming it at the vice-commander. Since she knew that he wasn't interested in forming alliances, she could shoot without hesitation.

 _His reaction time is amazing so I probably only have one shot at this,_ she thought, looking through her scope. _Huh? Where did he go?_

"Are you looking for me, little lady?"

Falco whipped her head around and fell over at the sight of Vice-Commander Reagan, who was also crouched down and looking at her intently. She fumbled for her rifle.

"V-vice commander," she stuttered. "How did you—"

"I knew from the start that you were here," he smiled. "You have a really strong presence. Great when fighting, but not so great when you're hiding, huh?"

 _No kidding…_ she thought. "Why didn't you shoot me down?"

He thought for a moment. "I actually wanted to talk to you," he admitted, scratching his brown hair. "You came to the general meeting several weeks ago, right? With Ace? I saw you briefly on the way out, but I wasn't sure if it was the right person since non-commanders don't usually go to generals."

She nodded wearily. "I-I was invited to introduce myself. Did you want to ask me something?"

His green eyes danced with mirth. He extended a hand, pulling Falco up. "Just curious as to what Maria's daughter would have been like. You guys kind of look alike."

"You knew my mother?" she gasped. Reagan shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'd just joined the crew when your mother was getting ready to leave," he said. "But I did see her once when we were fighting. I can see the resemblance."

Even though Reagan hadn't directly talked to her mother before, Falco was happy that people recognized her. "Thank you."

"I'm also in the Fifth Division so I figured you wouldn't see me too often," he shrugged, extending a hand. "I'm Reagan, by the way."

"I know," she said, shaking it. "It's a shame we can't all fit into one ship."

"It doesn't matter," the vice-commander smiled. "We always have events every once in a while that lets us get together. That's why we're all so closely bonded to each other, even if we live on different ships."

Falco wanted to ask more about Maria when suddenly, several of the bushes across from where the two were standing began to rustle.

"Looks like we have company," Reagan said, loading his gun again with paintballs. "I'm still going to run solo, but do you want to partner up just for this fight?"

"Sure," she said. Quite frankly, she didn't care much about winning and wanted to hear more stories from the vice-commander.

Neither of them, however, expected twelve crew members to slowly come out from hiding, pointing their guns threateningly.

"Oi, oi," muttered Reagan. "You guys are going to split the bounty with twelve people? It's not worth it."

"We'll battle it out in the end," one crew member said, never letting his eyes off of the vice-commander. "But we figured we should hunt you down first."

Reagan looked at the twelve, and then at Falco. He sighed and shook his head before leaning towards her face.

"I guess I'll just win next year," he huffed. "Listen, I'll distract them and you can run."

"What?" Falco seethed. "No. I'm not a coward."

"Maria saved me during my very first battle on the sea," he whispered. "I couldn't pay her back, so let me at least help you—even though this isn't a life-or-death situation."

Falco's golden eyes widened. "You'd do that for me? I just met you."

Reagan winked. "That's what family members do for each other. Also, these guys probably targeted me from the start anyways. I'm famous for being able to dodge bullets."

 _That would explain the reaction time…_ she thought, remembering his short match before. "Will you be alright?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Make sure you get away though. I don't often do this for others."

Falco nodded, getting ready to pull back. "Drinks are on me the next time we meet."

"Deal."

Reagan's eyes focused on one crew member who had his index finger wrapped around the trigger. The moment he pulled it, he shoved Falco away and sidestepped, pointing his gun at another shooter.

"Run!" He cried, firing another round. Falco quickly slung her rifle over her shoulder and dived between the trees, sprinting as fast as she could.

She could hear several more gunshots in the distance but she didn't dare to turn around and look back, in case someone was targeting her. She didn't want Reagan's kindness to go to waste.

 _I guess my mother really did impact a lot of people,_ she thought, spotting an exit from the forest. _A crew member that couldn't even defend himself in his first battle has now become powerful enough to be promoted to a vice-commander, and he is now capable of defending his allies._

Her lips curved up at the thought. _This crew really does have some amazing people._

She had sprinted without thinking and her thoughts were cut short when she crashed into something soft. She heard a male voice curse, but she was too preoccupied by her own pain.

"Ow, what the hell?" she muttered, holding her head. When she looked up, she saw Ace spitting out sand after falling face-first.

The vice-commander muttered something about deja-vu before realizing who had crashed into him. He held his rifle up threateningly, causing Falco to raise both of her hands. Her weapon had fallen an arms length away from her.

"This is paintball, not tackle," he smirked, aiming at her body. "Were you running from something?"

"Y-yeah," she said. "Vice-Commander Reagan helped me escape a difficult situation."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Reagan? No ways, he was so excited about winning this tournament. He's good at dodging fast-moving objects."

"So I've heard," she said, looking at him wearily. "Look, Ace, why don't we form an alliance? You don't have to share the treasure with me. I'll give you the entire prize."

Ace looked at her suspiciously for a moment before retracting his gun. Giving her a wide grin, he said: "Sure. I wasn't interested in winning anyways."

Falco raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Then why are you playing?"

He winked as he helped Falco up. "Revenge. Marco got me in the last tournament so I'm going to make sure to get him this time."

The girl nodded, feeling tired already. "Oh yeah, what's your clue? Mine just says '1-1' on it."

Ace fumbled the piece of paper out from his pockets and held it in front of Falco's eyes.

"It says '1-6'," he said. "With some sort of a squiggly line on the back. I'm guessing it's part of the outline of the island."

She nodded, inspecting their clues carefully. The two quickly went back into the forest, feeling a little bit more relaxed. It always felt safer exploring with an ally than alone.

"There's a rule that you might not know," he said, lifting a branch so she could walk through. "Oyaji hides several 'item drops' on the island, but there's only ten or so each year. Finding one can give you a major advantage."

"Advantage?" she asked. "Like what?"

He looked up thoughtfully. "The vests we're wearing right now are made of kairoseki in order to nullify the powers of the Devil Fruit users, but an item drop may be a regular vest instead, so that person could use their Devil Fruit abilities for a limited amount of time. For someone like Amare, it would be more advantageous for her to find this item first, rather than shooting random people down. But you have to use them wisely since after being worn, the ice that holds the kairoseki inside this special vest melts with body heat, and within a few minutes that vest will nullify your powers again."

Falco sweatdropped. _They planned these things out really well, didn't they…_

Both of them continued to walk aimlessly until Ace suddenly halted. Then, he jumped forwards and crouched down behind a bush, observing carefully.

Falco trudged towards him and crouched down as well, trying to see what he was gazing at so intensely.

"Whoa," she said. "Why are all those people standing there?"

They were right next to the shore where the Moby Dick was anchored, and there was a crowd of people chatting and milling about next to Whitebeard, who was drinking sake.

"People who have lost come back here," he whispered. "It's good that we found this place early, so we can see who's still playing."

Falco scanned around for one person, and to her dismay, found him. "Oh no, it looks like Reagan's out."

"Oh no?" smirked Ace. "More like oh _yes_. Now we have a better chance at winning."

"I still feel bad that he sacrificed his chance for me," she frowned. "I should go thank him later."

"Yeah, do that after we win," Ace smiled, ruffling her hair. "Then his hard work wouldn't have gone to waste."

Falco was trying to see if Amare and Marco were part of the crowd when all of a sudden, a huge blast exploded behind them, causing Ace and Falco to tumble out into the open.

The crew members that had been ousted looked at the two and at the blast in surprise. "Isn't that Ace?" someone asked.

Falco saw Whitebeard smirk from the corner of her eyes. "It has begun."

Two female figures strutted forwards from the dust. Their black and grey hair swayed from the gentle breeze that constantly circulated the tropical island.

Mir stepped into the open, putting black gloves on her hands. Talis was wiping her sabre down with a cloth, looking and Ace and Falco menacingly.

When Falco looked into their eyes, she felt herself go cold. These were _not_ the same women she had talked to this morning. The traces of humour and happiness that they had shown during breakfast were completely wiped away, replacing the happy-go-lucky attitude with two serious-looking women, who had now begun to walk up to them.

"Oi, oi," she heard Ace whisper beside her. "Don't tell me Mir found an item drop…"

Falco whipped her head back to the vice-commander. She had, indeed, switched to the regular black vest instead of the grey kairoseki vest.

"Hello, Ace," Mir said, once they were several feet away from each other. "It's been a while since we've met."

"Yeah… a few hours or so," he smirked, a bead of sweat trickling down his face. "How did you know we were here?"

"Luck," she shrugged. Her eyes turned to Falco. "Are you going to fight or will you watch?"

Falco furrowed her eyebrows and prepared herself to pull out her katana—she had enough of running. "I'm his ally. I won't run away."

Talis tossed her cloth behind her and inspected her blade. "A mere paintball fight is a little boring for vice-commanders and the daughter of Dracule Mihawk, no? Why don't we settle this using the best of our abilities?"

At that moment, Mir whipped out something from her own bag and tossed it to Ace. When he caught it, he realized that it was another black vest.

"Get in it, Ace," she smiled. "We're going to settle this once and for all."

The vice-commander changed into the new vest straight away. "Fine by me, but you're going to regret this."

"Hey," whispered Falco, grabbing Ace's wrist. "Why are they so serious? They look like they're ready to kill you."

"You know how I said I wanted to get Marco for getting me out last time?" he replied. "Well, I was the one who got both of them out. I think they're still mad at me for that."

 _They're so serious about a simple game…_ Falco sweatdropped. _But I'm not surprised. They do seem like they would be rivals._

Reagan stepped forwards to get a better look. There was a small crowd surrounding the four pirates now, watching their every move anxiously.

"What's the point of fighting in the Ducere Tournament?" Reagan asked. "We have the Hexadecagon Tournament for these kinds of things."

"Vice-commanders don't fight each other in the Hexadecagon Tournament, Reagan," said Talis, eyeing Falco in particular. "Besides, when else would I get to fight the daughter of Dracule Mihawk?"

Before Falco could even ask about the Hexadecagon Tournament, Ace stepped forwards, fist covered with flames.

"I don't really know your fighting style yet," he told Falco. "But we'll try our best. Just don't get hurt."

She nodded, holding her sword out in front of her. "You too."

Mir made the first move. "Wind Cutter!" she cried, slashing her arms forward. Falco and Ace immediately dodged on opposite sides and instantly sprang forwards, Falco towards Talis and Ace towards Mir.

Talis quickly sidestepped from Falco's upward slash and swung down with her own. Falco took that split second to flip her sword around and held it in reverse grip, locking the two swords together.

"Not bad," the vice-commander nodded. "You have a great reaction time."

"You're too relaxed, vice-commander," Falco smiled, reaching down for her odachi. Talis took a quick glance at how she was pulling the sword out and grinned.

"Do you ever hold your swords properly?" she asked. Falco withdrew the long blade in one, quick motion, forcing Talis to jump back.

"Reverse grip is a special trick I like to use often," the girl smiled. "I like to stick to the basics, but I also enjoy being creative with what I have."

Talis leapt forwards, forcing Falco to block with her odachi. She then flipped her sword using the correct grip and then sliced sideways, moving her odachi away just in time so it wouldn't hit her katana. Talis ducked and sprang up immediately to elbow Falco in the stomach, taking the split second to swing her own sword.

Falco quickly deflected it and tumbled back, slowing herself down by digging a hand into the sand.

She saw Ace from the corner of her eyes and realized that he was also having a difficult time. Most of his fire attacks were being blown out by Mir's Kaze Kaze no Mi, nullifying every move into simple punches and kicks, which she slowed down with her wind again.

 _She's really good at utilizing her Devil Fruit_ , Falco realized, eyes widening. Mir wasn't just blowing the fire out, but rather, she was making Ace use up his energy by simply waiting for his forceful punches and slowing them down with her wind, almost like a protective barrier around her.

Mir dodged one more punch before firing a punch of her own, accelerating it with the wind. Ace's body flew backwards, right next to Falco.

"Ouch," he groaned, shaking his head as he stood up. "Damn Mir. She knows my timing too well."

Falco remembered their conversation earlier of how Mir used to be Ace's partner for fights.

"They may know you," she whispered, getting ready to attack again. "But they don't know me."

Ace glanced at Falco. "You have an idea?"

Falco nodded. "I need a fire. A big one."

The vice commander shook his head and looked at his fists, which were enveloped in orange flames. "I can't. She'll blow them out, which is weird since she should technically be making my flames bigger…"

Falco looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean?"

He glanced at Falco before turning his direction back to Mir and Talis, who were both walking towards them. "Fire needs oxygen to keep burning—that's why we worked so well together. Mir can amplify my flames."

"Then aren't we at an advantage?" Falco questioned, wondering why Ace was so reluctant.

The vice-commander shook his head again. "I may be stronger than Mir physically, but when it comes to mastery over Devil Fruits, she's probably better. To put it short, if I control fuel and she controls oxygen, she can set her wind up so that there are more oxygen molecules than fuel, which would extinguish my flames."

"So you're telling me that you're pretty much powerless against her?" asked Falco. "I just needed heat…"

Ace looked at Falco. "Would it be okay if the fire wasn't consistent?"

The girl nodded eagerly. "Yeah. As long as the area around them is warm."

The man looked reluctant but wordlessly hit a fist into his palm, smirking arrogantly. "Let's do it then."

He threw both hands into the sand and yelled: "Kagero!"

A huge wall of fire enclosed the two vice-commanders. Falco's eyes widened at Ace's incredible power—it wasn't easy to utilize a Devil Fruit to this sort of extent.

But her excitement quickly disappeared when a burst of wind extinguished the flames, and neither vice-commander had even stopped walking after Ace's attack.

"Whatever," Ace smirked. "I'll just make my fire bigger and bigger—we'll settle who's stronger once and for all, Mir!"

"Fine by me!" The First Division's vice-commander smiled, intentionally slowing down her steps so Ace could have more time to attack.

"Kagero!"

"Bofu!"

The wind nearly knocked Falco off her feet, but she remained grounded, looking at the two with worry.

"I need the fire to stay a bit longer," she whispered. Ace nodded reassuringly. "You got it. Kagero!"

"That won't work, Ace!" Mir cried. "Bof—"

"Jujika!"

The moment Mir activated her Kaze Kaze no Mi, Ace connected his first attack with a cross-shaped column of fire directly at the woman. Just when it was about to hit, however, Talis stepped forward and sliced through the attack with her sword, smirking at Ace and Falco.

"You're going to have to try a lot harder than that, Ace," the vice-commander taunted.

Ace could feel his blood boil but forced himself to calm down, thinking instead of where to hit them next. All Falco wanted was heat—he would have to give it his best.

"Kagero!" He tried again, but Mir calmly blew the attack away.

"Ace," Falco whispered. "Can you connect your attacks so that she stops moving? I like this distance."

"What?" asked Ace. "But they're so far away! You won't be able to use your close-ranged combat and my long-ranged attacks won't work."

She shook her head. "No, the greater the distance, the better. Keep going."

 _The greater the distance?_ Ace had no idea what her plan was but decided not to question it. "Shinka: Shiranui!"

The long lances made of fire landed directly before Mir and Talis's feet, making them leap back.

"Your aim is shit!" Mir laughed. "Throw like a man, Ace!"

"Shut up!" he roared, briefly glancing at Falco. _I hope she has a plan…_

Ace steadily increased his attacks but Mir and Talis continued to dodge or extinguish his flames. He felt more and more frustrated as time dragged on.

"Hey," he panted. "How much longer is this going to go on for?"

Falco observed the two vice-commanders carefully and bit her lower lip. _It should've happened a while ago…_

Ace threw one more fire lance with a loud grunt, but this too, was deflected by Mir's winds.

Falco felt the soft breeze from the aftereffects of the Kaze Kaze no Mi. Her eyes flashed open.

"Ace, _now_!" she cried. "Use your biggest attack!"

The vice-commander was startled at her sudden change in tone but quickly gathered every last ounce of his strength and concentrated his flames onto his right fist.

"Special move," he said, running forwards. "HIKEN!"

"It's useless!" Mir cried, positioning herself to deflect the attack. "Arashi!"

Falco stayed some feet behind Ace but still closed her eyes, bracing her body for impact. But when she opened them again a second later, Ace's attack had connected to Mir, who was blown away back to where the crowd was.

"What the hell?" Reagan cried. "How come Mir's attack didn't work?"

Falco turned her focus back to the battle and locked her eyes on Talis, who looked at Mir's flying body in shock.

"You don't have time to look away, vice-commander!" Falco cried, lunging forwards. As she ran towards Talis, however, she dragged her katana into the path of fire that Ace's Hiken had left behind. Her sword gradually became hotter and morphed into a sword of fire, just as she jumped up for her attack.

"This is the _end_!" She yelled, slicing downwards. Talis looked up at the last second and locked her sword with Falco, smirking.

"Nice surprise attack, but don't underestimate my reaction time!" she said, but her smile faltered at Falco's confident face.

"Gotcha."

Before Talis could even question the girl, the vice-commander's sword shattered. Not wanting to injure her, Falco also pulled her sword back, but took the opportunity to jump back up and kick Talis away, square in the chest. She too, flew back to where Mir was knocked unconscious on the ground.

Falco panted heavily and swung her sword down to get rid of the remaining fire. She turned slowly to Ace who gave her a huge grin.

"I… think we won," she whispered, looking at the two vice-commanders and the stunned silence of the crowd.

The man looked at her, equally as surprised and then back at Mir and Talis again. His face soon morphed into a toothy grin and he ran up to her, picking her up and hugging her tightly.

Falco's face flushed and she felt the temperature of her face rising as hot as her katana. "A-Ace, what are you doing?"

"We did it!" he cried, and just as he did so, the previous crew members that had been ousted also burst into cheers, running towards the two.

"That was awesome!"

"I don't understand what happened…"

"Holy shit! A new duo took down the most powerful tag team in the crew!"

"That was brilliant!" Ace smiled, ruffling her hair. "Your plan worked well!"

Thatch, who had been watching quietly the entire time, looked at Falco and Ace fondly.

"A tactician, huh?" he asked Whitebeard, gaze now focused on Mir and Talis who were being treated by the nurses. The captain took a long drink and smirked, watching Falco being praised by her crewmates.

"To Mir and Ace, this was a battle about strength," the captain said. "But to Falco, it was about winning. Even if it meant that Ace and Mir couldn't fully battle with their Devil Fruit abilities, she found out a way to win."

Thatch nodded in agreement. "She remembered that the kairoseki vests have a time limit to them, and that the ice melted with body heat.

"But she wanted to nullify their vests as fast as she could, which was why she made Ace do all those attacks. Not necessarily to hit them, but to make their area hotter," said Marco, walking up to Thatch and Whitebeard. "Falco ordered Ace to keep his distance, since she didn't want to risk Ace's vest melting along with Mir's."

"She knew that Mir's vest deactivated the moment she felt that final breeze—it was probably much weaker than the ones she felt beforehand which was when she knew it was Mir's last attack—but Mir was so focused on Ace that she hadn't realized her vest had melted," said Amare, who was also looking at the two with fond eyes. "That's when she signalled Ace to attack Mir, and that's why Mir's final attack didn't go through."

Marco nodded. "Talis's sword was weakening from the hot fire it was cutting through, and Falco knew it. She jumped up to apply more pressure onto Talis's sword and ultimately broke it, defeating her in the last moment."

Thatch raised an eyebrow at the two. "Speaking of which, where did you guys come from? Did you get ousted?"

Marco smirked and didn't let his eyes off Falco, who was now being thrown in the air by her crewmates. Ace laughed heartily as Falco yelled to be put down. The commander then turned around and pointed as his back which had a pink blotch on it.

"Amare got me out and found the final treasure," he smiled. "It was a good fight."

"Yeah, I thought our battle was epic," the child nodded. "But this one was _way_ better. Do you think they'll be disappointed when we tell them that they've technically lost?"

The three adults smiled at the duo who were laughing and shouting as the sun began to set behind them.

"Somehow, I don't think they'd mind at all." whispered Marco.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **One thing I wanted readers to notice was the fact that Falco lacks colour—she's not that interesting as a person herself. As the story goes on, the people around her will influence her to turn into certain colours, and by the end of the very last book, you'll be able to see a little bit of everyone she's journeyed with thus far.**

 **She's like a purely white, blank canvas that is already starting to smear with the colourful personalities of her crewmates.**

 **Also, I know I made Ace seem like a bit of a flirt, and it's always easy to see people these days with… ulterior motives, but I hope you can see Ace and Falco as more of an innocent romance as her story and her past is currently the more important thing that everyone is trying to figure out for now. The romance will follow quickly after, so no need to ship them every moment of the story.**

 **Updates may slow down for the time being. I'm going to go back and edit the first few chapters and then re-write the last chapter so that everything connects in the end. The drafts for chapter 5 and 6 are done but the next chapter is pretty major (word count says 8700) with the first hints for the rest of the story, so I need time to edit it. Chapter 7 has been hell to write too ;w; (so leave a review to help me move :D)**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:**

 **204shipper**

* * *

 **February 2019 Update: minor changes**

 **By the way, Ducere means 'to lead'.**


	5. The Calm Before the Storm

**Because the last chapter was a filler, this chapter will be much more directly related to the plot. Quite a bit will be revealed (or at least, the most you'll get in a while) about Falco's past.**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

 _Keep hurting._

 _Keep fearing._

* * *

Falco spun the pen between her fingers several times, staring at the inked pages before her with a frustrated frown. There was something so ugly about her handwriting, and she was almost positive that she spelled some words wrong.

The girl massaged her sore eyes tiredly and gave out a loud yawn. Even though the sun wasn't up yet, the loud thunderstorm outside woke her up from her slumber, so she decided to make use of her time to practice her writing instead.

The door directly behind her creaked open as Ace walked out from the bathroom. He was wearing a black t-shirt with cargo shorts and black sandals, a damp towel hanging loosely on his head. He suddenly began to shake his wet hair, drops of water spraying all over the room.

"Ace," she said, wiping a drop from her cheek. "Good morning."

The vice-commander grinned before taking a seat next to the girl. "Good morning to you too! Lovely weather we're having, huh?"

He looked around the room curiously. "Where's Amare?"

Falco immediately sat up and scanned the bed, realizing that the girl was nowhere to be found. "Oh… I didn't realize. Maybe she went for breakfast?"

"It's a little early for breakfast," said Ace. "Hmm. She's a pretty heavy sleeper too."

Falco recalled how much the young girl slept. She was a growing child, after all. "Maybe she couldn't sleep and left to bother someone else."

Ace shrugged and smirked. "Highly possible."

He suddenly leaned over and stretched his neck out to read her diary's entry. "Practicing lots, huh?"

Falco sighed miserably and looked at the book with distaste. "I'm trying my best but it's been difficult."

The vice-commander ruffled her hair and put on a small smile. "It can be at first but it's a useful skill to have. Being literate is a great advantage and I'm really happy that you've been working hard."

"Um… thank you," she said quietly, blushing. "I really want to write about the Ducere Tournament we had yesterday, but my hand keeps cramping."

"Really?" he asked. "Show me how you write."

Falco straightened her back and grabbed the pen once more, inking it quickly and thinking about the next line for her entry.

 _But then…_ she wrote slowly. _I saw vice-co—_

"Stop," Ace said. He put his hand overtop of her own and shook it gently.

She could feel heat rising up her cheeks. _Does he_ have _to hold my hand?_

"You're too tense," he smiled. "Loosen your grip a bit more."

She turned her attention back to the pen and followed his instructions. Without saying anything, Ace helped her complete the sentence: _I saw vice-commander Reagan._

"Wait a minute," said Falco, looking at the older man. "How'd you know I was going to write 'Reagan'?"

He pointed his chin at the diary and said: "You wrote 'There was a strange man that dodged every paintball shot at him', and the only vice-commander that you know who can do that is Reagan."

Falco frowned again. "You're too intuitive, it scares me."

"Ah, don't be," smiled Ace, ruffling her hair again. "What was your next line going to be?"

She looked upwards, thinking about the series of events that had happened yesterday. "'I was shocked because I was getting ready to shoot him, but he instantly appeared behind me.'"

Ace quietly led her hand with quick, even strokes, unlike her thick and shaky letters. His printing, she found, was quite beautiful.

"Your penmanship is stunning," she breathed, watching him in awe. "Who taught you how to write?"

He blushed slightly. "A really nice lady from the town I grew up in."

Falco's hand suddenly tightened again. _A past lover…?_

"Oh, your hand's tense again," Ace pointed out. "Loosen up a bit."

Falco ignored his words and continued to stare at the vice-commander. _I mean, it's not that I_ care _or anything but I didn't expect him to blush. What the hell?_

"—And I find that connecting the letters can save a huge amount of time…"

 _He looks dense as hell… Mir and Talis also told me he was. But if he blushed it must mean that he liked the woman in the past, right?_

"—But I think it's a great idea that you're writing about a major battle with three vice-commanders…"

 _I wonder what happened to that woman…_

"—Did really well," Ace finished, releasing her hand. "So. Any questions?"

"Did you like her?" Falco blurted out. When she realized what she had asked, her face flushed into a deep shade of crimson and she immediately bit down her tongue.

"Like her?" Ace asked confusedly. "Who, Makino? The lady who taught me how to write?"

Falco looked at Ace's expression carefully, not wanting to anger him by accident, and nodded meekly. The question had just sprouted out without meaning to!

But to her relief, Ace gave out a hearty laughter. "She was like a mother figure to me. I used to be such a brat before she taught me everything—manners, cleanliness, how to read and write—you name it. Don't know what kind of a person I'd be today without her."

He gave her a toothy grin. "She's doing well, I think. I was probably a pain in the ass to teach since I didn't really have a parent growing up, but I don't think she ever minded. I still get embarrassed when I think about my actions back then."

Falco blinked several times. _Oh. So that's why he blushed._

"Anyways, why don't we go look for Ama—"

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, they heard the door creak open. When Ace and Falco's two heads turned to face the person, their expressions quickly morphed into shock.

"Amare!" Falco cried, standing up so quickly she knocked her chair over. "What happened?"

Ace too, stood up and kneeled in front of the young girl. Amare was soaking wet and her face was flushed red. Her breathing was slow and heavy, and she looked like she was about to collapse at any moment.

The vice-commander placed his hand on Falco's forehead and then back to Amare's. He frowned at the girl before picking her up and cradling her in his arms.

"She has a fever," he muttered. "Must've gone outside in the storm to cool herself down."

"But why?" Falco asked incredulously. "She could've waken either of us up! Or even Florence!"

Ace shook his head. "I don't know. She's never done this before."

Falco began to head towards the door. "I'm going to wake Florence up. Please get her dried."

"Wait…"

Just as she was about to leave, Amare's faint voice made her stop in her tracks.

"Don't… don't leave…" she whispered, eyes fluttering open. "Stay with me."

Falco blinked several times, feeling confused. "Wha—I'm not going anywhere. I just want to bring Florence so she can check up on you."

"I don't want… to see Florence," the young girl said, shaking her head. "I just want to be with you and Ace."

Falco looked at the vice-commander worriedly. Ace took a brief glance at her, and then at Amare and sighed. Falco noticed that Amare's clothes and hair were beginning to dry already, most likely due to his Devil Fruit abilities.

"Amare," he said sternly. "As your vice-commander I am ordering you to see Florence."

The young child closed her eyes again and buried her head into his shoulder. "That's not fair."

"Kiddo, we're both worried about you," he said softly. "We'll be with you, alright? It'll be quick, and we can ask Florence to come here."

Falco didn't bother waiting for Amare's response. She sprinted down the hall and climbed up a flight of stairs to the nurses' quarters.

She rapped her knuckles against the wooden door. "Florence? Are you in there?"

There was a bit of shuffling and then the clicks of several locks. The blonde nurse poked her head out a moment later.

"Falco?" Florence asked, surprised at how frantic the shy girl was. "What's up?"

"L-listen," she said. "Amare—she was outside in the rain. I don't know why but she looks really, really sick."

Falco's heart felt like it was racing at a million miles per minute, and she was having a hard time thinking straight. She hadn't felt this nervous even during her battle against Mir and Talis, but she felt so worried for the little child.

"Hold on," the nurse said. "I'll go get changed."

A few minutes later, she stepped outside in a pink bathrobe with a white first-aid box. The nurse quickly followed Falco's lead to Ace's room, and her eyes widened when she saw Amare's state.

"Oh dear," she said, inspecting the young girl. "What happened?"

Ace shook his head. "We don't know—she was up earlier than us."

Falco quietly watched as Florence performed a basic check-up routine. Amare's small face was flushed and she started to let out violent coughs.

Florence let out a sigh. "She has a chest infection. Probably nothing serious."

The nurse turned to face the little girl. "Not a smart idea to go outside in this weather."

Amare's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head to look at the nurse. "S…shut up."

Falco's lips curved up into a small smile, but she still felt worried. "What should we do?"

The nurse signed and looked upwards. "Unfortunately, we've ran out of most of our medicine. We've had a cold going around the past few days and it's decimated our supply levels. We probably have some on the other ships but the storm's separated us and it'll probably take a while… maybe even a few days before they get here."

"But we're near an island, aren't we?" Ace asked, inspecting a large map on the table.

The nurse looked at him in shock. "Yeah, we are... but you can't possibly go out—"

"Then it's decided," said Ace, cutting Florence off. "I'll take Striker and go to the island."

"You can't do that!" cried Florence. "Look at the storm outside, the waves will kill you instantly."

Falco instantly raised a hand. "I can fly over the waves. It'll probably be faster anyways."

"But your memories," the vice-commander said worriedly. "You shouldn't use your Devil Fruit abilities."

Falco shook her head. "No, it's alright if I use it moderately. As long as we don't go through a major battle, I'll be fine."

Truth be told, she had no idea how her Devil Fruit actually worked with her memories, but she wanted to help Amare as soon as possible, and she needed a convincing lie.

Florence nodded. "Okay, but take your time. She's sleeping now, anyways."

Falco took a quick glance at the young child who was frowning, even in her slumber. She let out another painful cough, making the girl wince.

Ace put a hand on top of Falco's head. "We'll leave immediately. Florence, tell Teach to take over my duties."

The nurse looked at the two worriedly. "Be careful, alright?"

Falco didn't bother grabbing a jacket or a cloak—the girl knew she would get soaked anyways. She strapped her swords onto her waist and shoulder just in case they encountered any sort of danger. After one final look at Amare, she opened the door and climbed the stairs to get to the deck.

Ace trudged behind her, sighing once he saw the storm. Water slowly dripped down the stairs, and thunder crashed around them. The ship swayed back and forth and massive waves as tall as the deck crashed to its sides.

"You ready?" He asked Falco. The girl nodded and stepped into the rain, letting herself become soaked in the storm. Her silver wings stretched outwards, partially spanning the deck. Once she was in the air, Ace leapt onto her back and sat down.

"You have big wings," Ace commented, grinning. "Or you just have a super wide back."

"Your life is in my hands right now," she snapped. "Don't make me throw you off into the sea."

"Nah, you wouldn't do that," he said, shaking his head. He briefly glanced at his log pose and pointed forwards.

"Just keep going straight. We're not that far away."

Falco nodded and slowly gained altitude. The winds were extremely harsh so she knew that she had to be careful since Ace was on her back and he couldn't fly. Her only hope was that she wouldn't have to fly for long.

Ace tightly grabbed Falco's back but felt increasingly worried. The rain felt like bullets going through his skin. He wasn't cold by any means, but he was worried about Falco who would have to navigate through the thunder while carrying his weight on her back.

Thankfully, the two saw the sandy shores of the island straight ahead. It was foggy and dark so Falco couldn't quite see how large the island was, but felt relieved that the miserable flight was coming to an end.

Just as she was about to descend, an upwards wind caused her to shake slightly. Another gust of wind suddenly threw them forwards before Falco had a chance to regain her balance.

 _BAM!_

A bolt of lightning had just barely missed her, but it was enough to send her flying from the shock. The wind threw her to the ground with Ace, and she landed with a painful thud, causing her to momentarily black out.

"Falco?" she heard Ace's desperate voice. "Falco, wake up!"

"Ace…"

"Hold on, I'll take you somewhere safe. Just don't lose consciousness, alright?"

She felt her body being heaved up by the vice-commander. His back, as always, was as warm as a furnace. Part of her wanted to snuggle in and just sleep, but she suddenly remembered Amare's sick face.

Her head snapped back up. "Ace, I'm okay. Let me down."

The vice-commander ignored her as he continued trudging down a cobblestone path, heading towards a small, wooden cottage.

"Ace!"

He turned his head back in surprise. "Wha—oh, are you okay?"

The girl nodded, patting his back. "I'm fine, you can put me down."

She slipped off quickly and shook her head, feeling slightly dizzy. "Is that it? Do you think they're open?"

"They better," muttered Ace. "C'mon, let's get out of this disgusting weather."

Once the two were at the entrance, Ace rapped his knuckles on the white door twice. It had a small, wooden sign next to a window that read 'MEDIC', but it looked dark inside.

"The owner must be sleeping," said Ace. He knocked a little bit harder. "Hello? Is there anyone there?"

She could hear the click of a lock and then the door slowly opening to reveal a small man in white pyjamas. He looked at the two angrily. "Do you guys have any idea what time it is?!"

"My friend here," said Ace, pointing to Falco. "She's injured."

The man looked at Falco in surprise and confusion, but the girl frowned and gently nudged his stomach.

"I'm fine, that's not what we're here for," she said. "Um… we have another friend—she has a chest infection. Could you help us?"

He ushered the two inside quickly and closed the door behind him so that the rain wouldn't get in. "You guys can sit on the bed. I'm the doctor on this island—I don't think I've ever seen you two around."

"No, we're not from here," said Ace.

The doctor raised his eyebrows as he rummaged through what looked like a shelf full of herbs and medicine. "Pirates? Marines?"

"Pirates," said Ace. "But uh, we're not here to wreck anything. We just need some medicine."

"I can see that," the man said. "How did you guys get here?"

Ace jerked a thumb towards Falco. "She can fly."

The man looked at her in surprise for a quick moment before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter either way. I'm a doctor—I treat all those who are sick."

He handed her a cream before going back to rummage through his shelves. "That ointment will help heal those injuries."

Falco touched her cheek and realized that it was bleeding. Secretly, she wondered how wet and miserable she looked.

After dipping two fingers into the cream, she gently smeared it over her cheek, wincing slightly.

"Let me help you with that," Ace said quietly, taking the cream away from her hands. "I was worried you were hurt."

Falco looked downcast as he applied the ointment. "I'm fine. This is nothing."

The man didn't reply and quietly applied the ointment on her cheek. When Falco turned her head to look at him, he gave her a sad, gentle smile.

"Is… there something wrong, Ace?"

The vice-commander opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when the doctor cursed loudly.

"Damn it. I don't think we have any medicine left. I wanted to give you a little of everything so your ship's doctor can choose which one to use, since the patient isn't here for me to see."

Falco furrowed her eyebrows. "Then what do we do? Is there a different island nearby?"

The man shook his head. "If you guys can wait until the storm subsides, a shipment is supposed to come soon. I'm guessing it's been delayed though because of bad conditions."

Falco stood up abruptly. "I'll go and find the ship. Tell me what it looks like."

Ace immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her down onto the bed. "Are you crazy? You're in no condition to go outside right now."

Before Falco could think of a reply, the doctor nodded in agreement. "You were already injured flying once—I wouldn't risk it."

She felt the inside of her stomach tightening up—Amare was sick and these two men wanted her to sit still and wait for the storm to pass?

"How long will it take?" she asked the doctor, but the man merely shrugged.

"Maybe several hours, maybe several days."

"Several—Ace, we have to go back quickly."

The vice-commander patted her wet head and gave her a small smile. "Amare's going to be alright. Florence is with her."

Falco knew that Amare's life wasn't in immediate danger, but she was more worried about the fact that she would wake up and look for them. She knew how horrible loneliness felt, and she didn't want Amare to go through the same thing.

"Achoo!" Falco sneezed. She rubbed her eyes in weariness. "What now?"

"I don't have spare clothes you guys can change into," the doctor said. "But you should probably remove your wet shoes and give your body some warmth."

He began to walk up the stairs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I'm going to go back to sleep. You guys should get some rest too."

Ace removed his sandals and climbed underneath the blankets. He cocked his head towards the pillow. "C'mon."

The girl put down her swords and kicked her boots off and also climbed in, lying down the opposite way to Ace, just like what they normally did. As she went down though, Ace grabbed her wrist with lightning fast speed and pulled her over to the same side as him.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked, Face flushed. Ace smiled next to her.

"Relax, I'm not going to do anything weird," he laughed. "Just wanted you to get warm. My feet probably don't smell that nice, anyways."

Falco was about to stand up and just sleep on the floor when she started to feel Ace's body heat radiating off of him.

"I won't get in with you, so just sleep," he reassured her. He leaned his back against the headboard of the bed and smiled encouragingly. A warm hand was placed on her head and she could feel its warmth run through her entire body.

"You're really warm, you know that?" she asked, feeling drowsy. Ace smiled and stroked her head again.

"Go to sleep."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **V: The Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

Falco's eyes slowly opened, only to find her arm draped over Ace's torso. She sat up in shock and embarrassment, but realized that the vice-commander had fallen asleep. He had also kept his promise about not getting in bed with her—Ace's back was still plastered to the headboard and his head was cocked sideways.

"Ace," she whispered, shaking his shoulder gently. "Sleep comfortably."

The vice-commander opened his eyes groggily before murmuring something and slipping into the sheets. Once Falco could hear his soft snoring again, she couldn't help but put on a little smile.

"You know, I don't normally ask my patients about their private lives," the doctor suddenly said, startling Falco. "But what's the relationship between you two?"

The girl flushed red, completely forgetting the fact that they weren't alone on the Moby Dick anymore. She fidgeted with the bedsheets nervously, not meeting his eye.

"I—um, we're just friends," the girl whispered. "It hasn't even been two weeks since I've known him."

The doctor raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Are you normally this shy?"

Falco continued to stare at the floor but gave him a quick nod.

"Really?" The old man asked. "You seem pretty comfortable with your friend there. I thought you guys were lovers were sure."

"W-we're not," she blushed, trying to recall if they had done something suspicious. "Why would you think that?"

The doctor chuckled and shook his head. "You are the most vulnerable when you're asleep. You are defenceless. You can put up no lies and no facades. You only share dreams with someone you trust."

She looked up. "Trust?"

For a few moments, she felt genuinely curious. She had felt a wave of different emotions ever since she had joined the Whitebeard Pirates, but there were so many feelings she didn't yet know how to describe.

The doctor put on a pair of glasses and opened a book. "Well, it's hard to describe. Maybe it's knowing that the person won't hurt you, or ever leave you. You have firm beliefs that they will always be by your side."

"I don't think he'll ever leave me," Falco pointed out. "The crew was very adamant that I stay with them and he's supposed to watch over me, so it wouldn't make sense to leave."

"Silly girl," he smirked. "There is no such thing is as certainty when you venture the seas."

"But you just said—"

"If you care for that man," he said, cutting her off. "Then take care of him. Cherish every moment you have with him. Two weeks is not enough time to truly know and understand somebody, but it is enough time for threads to form."

Falco blinked in surprise. "Threads? We don't have tight bonds or anything—we're just going to be roommates until I can figure out what to do with my life."

"Tsk," the doctor went, shaking his head with disapproval. "I told you—there's no such thing as certainty on the seas. Cherish your days with him because at least then, you won't regret."

Falco cocked her head sideways. After taking a thoughtful pause, she asked: "Have you… have you lost someone important to you?"

The doctor didn't look up from his book but smirked, lips curving up into a sad smile.

"I can tell that you're still a rookie," he said. "But as an old man with nothing to do now, I will tell you this: your times on the sea will not always be pleasant. Sometimes, they will bring you unimaginable grief. Maybe you'll lose everything, and maybe you'll even lose yourself."

"That's easy," she said. "I have amnesia—I don't know who I am. And I have no one important to me, either."

The doctor looked up wryly. "Amnesia is different because it's like getting a second chance and starting anew. Losing yourself, however, is _knowing_ that you've lost everything that once represented you. And as for important people…"

He pointed his chin behind Falco and smiled. "Threads form quickly."

The girl turned around, only to see Ace give a massive yawn. He stretched his arms upwards, face scrunching up. After sighing happily, he looked at Falco.

"Morning, Falco."

Falco shyly looked away. "Morning, Ace. Thought you were going to sleep a bit more."

He shrugged before leaping out of bed, kicking his sandals on. "I always have a hard time sleeping when it rains. Messes with my body or something, I dunno."

"Right, the Mera Mera no Mi," Falco nodded thoughtfully. _Well, at least we won't have to deal with your horrendous snoring…_

Ace smirked and ruffled Falco's hair affectionately. Secretly, she wondered how much of the conversation he had heard. Even though no big secrets had been revealed, she still didn't feel comfortable with Ace knowing that she was trying to keep her distance from the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Wow," said Ace, looking out the window. "It's still pouring."

"So it does," the doctor said, standing up again. He grabbed a large umbrella next to the shelves and handed it to Falco.

"What?"

"Go with the young man and grab some groceries for me. I've ran out of food and if we don't want to starve, we better eat something, no?"

She looked at him incredulously. "You want us to go out in _this_ weather?"

"What, you're gonna make an old man feed you now?"

Falco reluctantly took the umbrella as well as several bills from the old man. Just as she was out to step out into the storm, however, Ace took the umbrella out of her hands.

"W-what are you—"

"We're gonna get soaked anyways," he grinned mischievously. "Might as well enjoy it!"

The vice-commander shoved Falco out into the rain, immediately getting her soaking wet. He then cheered loudly as he too, stepped into the open, jumping up and down like a child.

"Ace!" she sputtered, trying to wipe away the water from her face. "W-what are you doing?"

"You gotta learn how to loosen up a little!" he cried, leaping into puddles. "Life is too short to always stand in the shade!"

"Wha—no!" she cried. "What if we get attacked? You need to be dry to use your Mera—"

"No one's gonna attack us!" he smiled. "And even if they do, you have your swords with you! Protect me!"

"What?!" she cried for the umpteenth time. "No! I hate to say this but go save your own sorry asshole—"

He continued running around like an excited monkey, splashing water everywhere until she was pretty sure there wasn't a part of her that was dry.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her next to his warm body. "Old man, where's the grocery store?"

The doctor leaned against the frame of the door and smirked. Once he pointed forwards, he said: "Keep going until you reach the shore. There should be several stores open."

Ace gave him a mock salute before grinning at the girl. "Let's go."

Falco had no idea what had gotten into the vice-commander but found herself smiling as well.

"Okay."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **V: The Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

Falco wasn't sure how safe it was to move around during a thunderstorm, but she figured she could take her chances, seeing as how Ace was freely running around without a second thought.

She watched him affectionately as he jumped into one puddle after another, though most of the road by now _was_ just one big stream. She walked over to him, shaking her head with a grin on her face and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey," she said, stopping the man. "Aren't you having too much fun?"

Ace gave her a toothy grin before shaking his hair out like a wet dog. "Aw, come on! There's no such thing as having _too_ much fun."

"I thought you wouldn't like the rain," Falco pointed out, continuing to walk. "Y'know, with your Mera Mera no Mi…"

"I don't," he said. "But sometimes, it's nice to have fun in the face of adversary."

Falco continued to smile at his simplicity as the two slugged through the rain, sand seeping into their shoes. The 'market' that the doctor had described was more of a fruits and vegetable stand, rather than an actual store. The owner looked at them skeptically and Falco was glad that it wasn't an _actual_ market because they would've been kicked out for sure. They were completely drenched from head to toe.

After handing the owner several bills, Falco and Ace grabbed a bag full of meat, fruits, and vegetables before proceeding to walk back out to the sandy shores.

"I've never seen you cook on board," Falco pointed out, glancing at some of the exotic herbs Ace had picked out.

The vice-commander shrugged. "No need to cook when you have a full kitchen staff, but sometimes I cook if I crave something that the kitchen doesn't make."

"Like?"

"Finer dining," he shrugged. "I'm not a picky or a high-end eater but the kitchen can't spend a lot of time making things that are too delicate or take too long to cook. They can do simple barbecue, but I might want a steak with a nice chimichurri sauce, or instead of mac and cheese, maybe I want some homemade tortellini. Things like that."

Falco raised her eyebrows. "Wow. You sound like a good cook."

"Ah," he shrugged. "Wouldn't really call it 'cooking'. 'Getting by' is more accurate, I think."

"I think you're just being modest."

The man grinned and stopped, letting the rain pour down on them steadily. "I'll make you something then, I guess. What do you like to eat?"

The girl looked up to think for a moment. Root Island had huge markets stretched across the entire shore, but she had never really ventured into the main city in fear that someone may recognize her.

"I don't know if there's anything I like," she slowly said, thinking of her simpler days. "I wasn't a big fan of cooking so I ate a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. There was also a bakery nearby, so I guess I ate a lot of bread.

"That's it?" Ace questioned. When Falco nodded, he smirked. "Wow, then you better get excited because travelling the seas consists a lot of trying out new cuisine. Anything you want to try in particular?"

The girl frowned. "Hmm… the chim… chim-something sauce you talked about sounds interesting."

"Chimichurri?" he asked. "Alright, I'll cook some once we get back to the cottage."

"Really?" she asked, eyes almost sparkling. "You'll do that?"

"As long as the old man has some basic spices and a working kitchen, sure."

Falco's mouth broke off into a huge grin. "Thanks, Ace! I can't wait, what's it made of?"

The man thought about the ingredients in his head, beginning to walk back to the cottage. "Uh, parsley, garlic, vinegar… oh, and olive oil…"

Falco tried to imagine what it would look like. The parsley probably made it green which was an odd colour on a steak since the sauces she knew of were limited to brown barbecue-like ones.

But her thoughts were cut short when she bumped into Ace's back due to his abrupt stop.

"Ow," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "We seem to bump into each other a lot—"

"Don't move," he whispered with such an authoritative voice it startled her.

"What?" Falco went, trying to get a glimpse of what the man was staring at. The foggy shore made it difficult to see anything far and the loud thunderstorm prevented her from hearing any footsteps.

"Ace, I don't—" she suddenly paused. Even though the grey mist was starting to thicken, she could _feel_ the presence first. It was powerful, commanding, and pressuring, making her feel anxious. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as the dangerous figure came closer and closer.

 _What would make me so nervous?_ She asked herself, swallowing down her saliva. _Who… or what is making a raging thunderstorm sound like a lullaby instead?_

There was a shadow that was inching towards them. Falco saw the large outline of a wide-brimmed hat. The figure that was walking towards them was tall, but not gigantic enough to be mistaken for a monster. A somewhat familiar-looking cross was on the person's back.

As if she were in slow motion, she could see Ace grab her bags and turn around, eyes filled with worry. But Falco took one last glance at the figure inching closer.

There were very few memories, and even fewer names that she could recall.

" _Shit!_ " Ace cried, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back. "Falco, _run_!"

But he was too late. And Falco had no intentions of running now that she had seen _his_ face.

"Don't be stupid!" the vice-commander hissed at her unmoving body. "I can't fight and you're in no condition to do so either!"

Wordlessly, she withdrew her katana from her sheathe and held it in front of her body.

She remembered two names, not because she liked them, but because she vehemently _hated_ them.

"Please don't," whispered Ace, staring at Falco's eyes that had gone sharp and cold.

 _He_ was the reason she had trained alone, isolated for the past ten years.

"It has been a long time," the figure said, with golden eyes that pierced through her own.

 _He_ was the reason she kept fighting, despite not even remembering what the original motive or cause of hatred was.

"How many years has it been?" Falco asked, a malicious smile upon her lips.

 _He_ was the beginning and end—of her anger and her happiness. Of childhood and adulthood. Of support and isolation. Love and hate.

Dracule Mihawk.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **V: The Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

Falco gazed at her father silently, waiting for him to say something—anything. She almost couldn't believe that she was related to this man. He had jet-black hair compared to her hazel locks, pale skin unlike her light tan from spending so much time outside, and sharp and narrow eyes while she had large, shining orbs. The colour of their eyes were both golden, but the resemblance stopped there. Even her attire—an off-shouldered blue sweater, green shorts, and brown boots contrasted from his overall darker tone.

"Falco, huh?" Mihawk said, eyeing Ace.

The girl continued to analyze him. She focused on the raindrops that pelleted onto his wide-brimmed hat, and Mihawk stared at the drops that were falling onto her hazel hair. The girl drew her sword slowly, never taking her eyes off on the man before her.

Ace noted that even their swords seemed like polar opposites—his was as black as the night sky while hers was so white, he would've mistook it for plastic had he not known that it was a Wazamono grade sword.

"Those swords," he said, eyes examining her weapons. "Quite famous ones you got there."

"Thanks for noticing," she snarled, surprising Ace with her aggressive attitude. "But I'm not here for compliments. I'm here to kill—"

"I mean that those swords don't look like they're from Root Island," her father cut in. "Probably somewhere deep within the Grand Line."

Falco raised an eyebrow curiously. How did her father know that she was living on Root Island? And what did he mean 'not from Root Island'?

Mihawk reached into his pockets and brought out a large, yellow cross. Falco scoffed at the sight of it.

"You're going to preach to me?" she asked incredulously. "Sorry to say, but I didn't raise myself to be a religious person."

"Don't be stupid," he said, popping the bottom of the cross to reveal a small blade. "I thought we were going to fight."

Falco gripped her katana tighter with surging anger. It made her mad to see her father, but for him to underestimate her abilities _this_ much…

"I didn't train for ten years to get beaten by a butter knife," she snarled. "Fight me properly."

"Then you must make me."

She leaped forwards, using her legs like springs. With incredible speed, she rushed over to Mihawk and struck her blade down, only to have it deflected single-handedly by the kogatana. The girl hissed in anger before jumping back and trying again.

Ace watched the two brawl in silent amazement. Even he couldn't believe that this flowery-looking girl was the daughter of such a fearsome man—but whether Falco knew it or not, he saw some similarities here and there. They both had similar grips, albeit, Mihawk was only using one hand. They also moved with such fluidity and grace that Ace knew he could not replicate with his own dagger. The two also rarely looked at their swords, locked instead in an intense staring challenge, as if trying to read the other person's mind.

 _I can't believe this._ Falco thought, hot blood surging through her veins. _Why am I struggling against a small dagger?_

"Focus, or you'll lose," said Mihawk, lunging forwards. Falco brought her katana forward to deflect his incoming strike, but he quickly feinted and flipped the dagger backwards and sliced through her waist, making her dizzy with pain. Mihawk took that chance to send her flying with a powerful kick to the stomach.

 _Reverse grip!_ Ace thought, amazed. Falco used it as a unique fighting style but Ace doubted that Mihawk specialized in it like the girl had. In fact, it was impossible to do so since his large sword would take too much time and effort to swing back and forth.

 _He beat her at her own game…_ The vice-commander realized. But even with her injury, he could feel himself rooting for her.

"Falco!" he yelled, wanting to give encouragement. "If you need help—"

"Stay back!" she snarled, startling Ace. "Do _not_ interrupt this battle!"

Before Ace had the chance to even complete his sentence, Mihawk washed out the blood stains with the rainwater and was preparing for another attack.

Falco clutched her side in pain. _Great._ She thought cryptically. _A bullet wound on one side and a stab wound on the other._

"Use your powers!" Ace yelled. "Use your other swords!"

 _Like hell I will. Not when he's using that tiny thing against a Wazamono grade katana. I've already shamed this sword so many times…_

"You're pathetic," said Mihawk, expression unchanging. He dashed forwards with the dagger out before him. "You're not even worth using Yoru on."

Falco desperately tried blocking his attack, but her injuries were beginning to hinder her movements. She clutched her waist, trying to stop the bleeding and sidestepped an incoming attack. Mihawk immediately turned around and sliced upwards, katana flying out of her hands.

The girl closed her eyes, waiting for the final strike to come. He was right—she was pathetic. Ten years of training and she had accomplished _nothing_. How could she have been so weak? She should've been unstoppable. Was her conviction really so weak?

 _I'm not even worth living._ She thought. _I'm useless._

But instead of the sweet release of death, Mihawk simply kicked her away, knocking her almost unconscious.

"I wouldn't even feel satisfied killing you because you're so weak," said Mihawk, looking down at her with his piercing golden eyes. "Absolutely pathetic."

He sheathed the dagger and began to walk away.

"Live with this humiliation for the rest of your life," Falco could hear. "Bear that scar to remind you how weak and worthless you are."

All she could hear next were Ace's muffled cries of concern. She could taste sand in her mouth. The raindrops pounding her body made her skin go numb and cold. Her eyes were losing focus.

Her last thoughts were about Root Island and what she had told the Marine that she beat right before her meeting with Ace and Amare.

 _How ironic._

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **V: The Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

 _You're weak._

 _Absolutely pathetic._

 _Worthless._

It was only in her slumber that Falco could really think about her encounter with Dracule Mihawk. She felt that he hadn't aged much, save for a few wrinkles and a slightly different hairstyle. The details of her past were fuzzy but she doubted they were important when it came to Mihawk—he was a simple man outside of his incredible sword skills.

Their encounter didn't feel awkward—perhaps it was due to her unwavering hatred, but what surprised her the most was how passive Mihawk had been throughout the entire ordeal. She didn't feel aggravated or brash herself, but some parts of her felt confused, and some parts of her felt angry. She had been itching for blood.

But why was Mihawk here in the first place? Was he just putting on a poker face or had he also been genuinely surprised as well?

"Falco," she heard a voice interrupt her thoughts. "Falco, wake up."

The girl opened her eyes, only to see the blurry outline of Ace. He hovered over her in concern, eyebrows furrowed with worry. Her hands ghosted along her waist, only to realize that her injury had been bandaged already.

"You okay?" he asked gently.

Falco didn't exactly know how to respond. Was she okay? She had been absolutely humiliated and trashed by her own father, who didn't seem to give a damn if she was alive or dead. She had her dream ripped out from her hands despite training countless _years_.

"Yes," she croaked, voice hoarse after not using it for so long. "I'm fine."

"That's good," he said quietly, giving her a gentle smile. "The old man fixed you up—he was pretty shocked."

The girl sat up gingerly and looked around. "Where is he?"

"Sleeping," Ace shrugged. "You've been out for almost a day. Rain still hasn't stopped though."

Falco looked outside of the window and realized that Ace was right. It was still dark and cloudy, save for a few bolts of thunder and lightning every once in a while.

"Woke you up 'cause I thought you'd be hungry," the man said. "You think you can eat something?"

She felt like puking, but she saw two steaks on the dinner table—Ace must've waited for her to be conscious again.

Falco nodded briefly and the man slowly helped her stand up. The two shuffled into the small dining area were a simple dinner awaited them. She could tell that it had been prepared recently—the steak was still steaming, and the kitchen was slightly warm due to Ace's elevated body temperature.

Chimichurri, like she had guessed, was a fragrant, green sauce that had been drizzled over a well-rendered steak. There was also a glass of wine, a basket of bread rolls, and a salad that was drizzled with a creamy-looking sauce. Despite the modest setting, the food itself looked extravagant.

"I wasn't sure how you liked your steak cooked," he shrugged, cutting his into smaller portions. "So I cooked it medium-rare because that's what I think tastes the best."

Falco slowly lifted a fork and knife but her hands shook nervously and the cutlery slipped out of her grip. They hit the floor with a loud clatter, startling her.

"S-sorry," she said, reaching down to retrieve her utensils—but Ace moved faster.

"Don't worry about it," the vice-commander reassured her, standing up and giving her a new set. "Here, I'll cut your steak for you."

She lowered her head slightly as Ace took her portion and cut it into smaller pieces. "I'm so weak…"

"Don't say that," Ace smiled, handing her a slice. "You should eat first—we can talk later."

Falco took it, feeling slightly apprehensive. She didn't want to eat—she didn't want to be here. She needed to go back outside and train so she could tell Mihawk the next time they met, this fight was a fluke—

Her eyes widened slightly as she slowly chewed on the soft steak. How long had it been since someone had cooked for her?

 _"—Should eat first, then you can train again!"_

 _"_ _—_ _'s cooking the most!"_

Several voices echoed in her mind—she didn't recall any of them, but her heart felt so warm for a moment. She took another slice from her plate and ate it, tears welling in her eyes as she chewed, almost in frustration.

 _"My goal is to kill Dracule Mihawk and Admiral Sakazuki—"_

 _"Absolutely pathetic—"_

She took another. And another. And another.

"Whoa," said Ace, quickly pouring a glass of water for her. "Slow down, you're going to choke."

 _What have I trained all this time for?_ She thought, grabbing a slice of bread and shoving it in her mouth. _What did I waste ten years for?_

Ace moved his seat so that he was next to her. Smiling softly, he gently removed Falco's bangs away from her eyes as she continued to eat away.

 _I'm so mad…_

Tears dripped down her flushed cheeks, and she began to wail out in sadness and regret. Ace patted her back reassuringly, handing her another cup of water.

 _I'm so mad at myself… for being so weak. Because I can't do anything but cry and eat._

"It's okay," she heard Ace's soft voice. "Your dream isn't over yet. You can challenge him next time."

He looked at the girl affectionately and thought back to his own childhood, which were also riddled with hardships. He never had the chance to fight against his own father, but a part of him understood how powerless and frustrated Falco felt.

 _But you're not alone this time… and we'll help you achieve that dream._ He thought, his pats matching the rhythm of the soft downpour outside.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **V: The Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

Falco had been sleeping on the bed when she heard the front door creak open. Her eyes shot open—she remembered Ace giving her a cup of tea as he did the dishes, and she promptly went to sleep once she had finished drinking the warm concoction.

"Hey," said Ace, who was reading a book behind the counter. "Where have you been?"

The old man stood by the doorway, holding a small parcel. He threw it carelessly at Ace, who caught it gently in his hands.

"What's this?"

"Your medicine."

"Our med—" Falco paused when she realized that he wasn't holding an umbrella. She scrambled to the window to get a better look outside and was pleasantly greeted by the bright, warm sun.

Ace stumbled next to her, breaking into a wide grin once he saw the weather. "It's stopped raining! We can go back to Amare now!"

Falco gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Can we take this?" Ace asked, pointing at the parcel.

"At a price."

When Ace shuffled through his pockets for spare change, the old man chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm kidding, of course. Your steak was delicious, by the way."

"My pleasure," smiled Ace. "Falco, are you ready to fly?"

She quickly checked her bandages. They still looked good, but she would probably have to change them once she got back to the ship. The girl nodded quickly.

Ace nodded. "Alright. Thanks for everything, old man. I don't think we ever introduced ourselves. My name is Portgas D. Ace and this is my friend, Falco D. Mihawk."

The doctor smiled wearily. "I don't think I'll ever see you guys again in my lifetime, but my name is Diego."

"Diego," Ace repeated. "Well, please stay healthy. If we continue to sail through the Grand Line, there's no doubt that we'll be back eventually."

The doctor nodded, chuckling as he waved goodbye. "Young 'un's. Alright, I'll try my best. I know both of you guys are strong, but be careful. And young lady, don't forget what I said about bonds."

Falco paused, remembering the conversation they had yesterday. "Okay."

The old man quietly watched the young duo soar through the skies, maneuvering quickly through the clouds. Out on shore, multiple ships were beginning to finally anchor after the long storm.

Diego continued to observe the beautiful iridescent wings that Falco bore, until its shimmers disappeared off to the distance. Just as he was about to close the door, an old couple around his age hobbled next to him, nodding in greeting.

"Why look who it is!" Diego smiled. "Alex and Marg. What brings you two here?"

"Damn storm blasted one of our windows out!" the old man cried, pointing at his wife. "Marg right here got a pretty bad cut on her hand when she was trying to clean it all up."

She stretched out a hand to show the doctor, sighing. "Tried to bandage it best as I could."

Diego hopped towards his shelf and shuffled through hundreds of boxes and bottles, looking for extra bandages and some ointment. The gash didn't look too deep so stitches probably weren't necessary…

"Think I saw your son yesterday," Alex suddenly said, causing Diego to halt. "And that missy who just left with that tall young lad—she had golden eyes too, didn't she? Someone related?"

The doctor continued to shuffle through the old shelves, trying to ignore what his friend had just said. "Ah… found it."

"You never told her?"

Diego shook his head, wrapping everything into a neat package. "I was never there for her. Not in birth, and I certainly won't be there for her death. I cannot do anything for her."

Alex took the package and gave him some coins in exchange. "You know well enough that being needed isn't what's important in family. She would've loved to have known."

"She hates her father," whispered Diego. "How can I tell her that I'm her grandpa? She seems to have found her place and she'll move on with her life."

The doctor quietly watched Alex and Marg link hands, remembering his youth which were filled with love and life. As they walked away from the cottage, he could hear Marg's voice echoing in the distance.

"For a man who loves to talk about bonds, you seem to not understand how they work," she said. "You have already formed them with your granddaughter—they have not tightened yet but as long as that thin strand exists, the threads will continue to weave, Dracule Don Diego."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Mihawk's father (Diego) passed his 'D' (Don) down the family tree so Falco technically has two 'D's'—one from her father's side (Dracule (Don) Mihawk) and one from her mother's side (Star D. Maria). When the meaning of 'D' is finally revealed, I'll decide if she can keep 'the Will of the D', or if she'll just inherit 'Don'. Also, we don't know Sakazuki's full name yet (though I guess Sakazuki is the last name?) so I'm unsure of how the 'Star' in Maria's name would work** **—but if his full name ever gets revealed, I guess I can just copy Ace and say Maria took on her mother's surname, not her father's.**

 **Let me know what you thought about this chapter! Leave a review!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **February 2019 Update:**

 **I keep having this terrible, terrible thought that Makino's child is actually Ace's (I know a lot of people think it's Shanks'). And if it is Ace's kid, then I'll probably throw myself off a bridge because what did I spend the last ten years writing for...**

 **Minor tweaks here and there.**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:**  
 **xxRyuu-himexx  
AJ Phantomhive**


	6. Front Foot Forward

**Since the last chapter directly affected the plot, this chapter will mostly be filler (but there are some important aspects to it too, of course).**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Front Foot Forward**

* * *

 _Laugh all you can today_

 _Because fools like you won't see a tomorrow._

* * *

Falco's heart beat erratically against her ribcage. She half-hoped that Amare was feeling better and half-hoped that she was still in bed so she wouldn't know that they were ever gone.

Ace squinted his eyes as he looked over the horizon. "Over there! I see the ship!"

The girl gritted her teeth. _I see it too. The question is, are we too late?_

As the two got closer and closer to the ship, Falco realized that there were many men on the deck, including Marco. Several rafts surrounded the Moby Dick.

"We're back!" Ace cried, jumping down even before she began her descent. He landed gracefully on deck, startling his fellow crewmates.

"Ace!" Thatch exclaimed first. "You're alright! Thank goodness!"

The man scratched his head sheepishly as Falco descended next to him. "Sorry, the storm was really bad so we stayed on the island for a few days."

"We were worried that you had fallen into the sea while going there," Marco explained. "I wanted to start searching for you guys right away but Oyaji told us to wait until the storm subsided. Glad you're back safe though. Did you get the medicine?"

"Yep," Ace said, holding out the box that Diego had given them. "How's Amare?"

As if on cue, the door leading below decks slammed open as Amare's little body launched itself into Falco and Ace's arms.

"Amare!" Ace cried, startled. "Are you feeling better?"

"I-I thought you guys had died!" the young girl sobbed in their arms. "I thought that it was my fault!"

Ace gently put a hand on her head. "Silly Amare. Die and leave you behind, all alone? Never."

The girl looked up from Falco's arms. "Really?" she asked. "You mean it?"

"Sure," Ace shrugged. "We'll protect you and you protect us."

Amare shook her head. "That's not good enough. You have to promise me. Promise me that you'll always be here."

Falco gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry we left without letting you know. We just wanted to get medicine for you, that's all."

She smiled gently at Amare, sweeping the little girl's bangs from her emerald eyes. "I may not pledge loyalty to Whitebeard himself—I may not bear the tattoo that everyone else does. But between you, me, and everyone we've met so far… we're all family and I will never, ever forget you. Even when I leave."

Amare's eyes sparkled with happiness as she buried herself into Falco's shoulder. Her warm tears soaked her blue shirt, but Falco didn't mind at all.

"You know," she whispered so quietly that only Falco could hear. "We've all spent a long time without a family. You… me… and Ace."

She stroked Amare's back slowly. "I know. You've suffered too, haven't you?"

"No matter the distance, I'll always be with you," Amare spoke softly. "Even when I'm not here, I'll be with you."

Falco didn't quite understand what Amare was saying, but agreed nonetheless.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Me too."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VI: Front Foot Forward**

* * *

According to Marco, Amare had gotten better the evening that Falco and Ace had left for the island. Falco soon learned that Amare was prone to getting sick often, but immediately got better once she had medicine. Florence and Ace had only panicked due to her irrational actions and the fact that she looked much weaker than usual.

"Go fish!" Amare cried, playing cards with some of the other members on deck. Falco smiled at the view.

"Yo!" said Thatch, walking up to her. "She seems energetic, doesn't she? And how are you holding up?"

Florence had stitched her wounds up immediately after Ace finally peeled Amare off of her. Though Diego had cleaned the wound well, it would take further treatment to fully heal.

Falco gave him an uncomfortable smile, not wanting to relive her dreadful moment with Mihawk. "I-I'm fine."

The Fourth Division's commander raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why, what's wrong? You seem even more quieter than usual."

Falco suspected that Ace had told Thatch and Marco about her encounter with Dracule Mihawk, but she didn't feel like explaining the situation herself. She tried her best to ignore his question and shook her head once more.

"Where are we headed to?" She asked nervously, wanting to change the topic. Thatch raised an eyebrow at her demeanour but looked upwards, trying to recall.

"Hmm, let me think," he said. "We're low on some supplies so we'll be heading to an island soon. Heard Oyaji chose it because they're having their annual sports festival."

"Sports… festival?" Falco echoed. "Are we going to take part in it?"

"Most definitely," Thatch winked. "It's a huge island with lots of players and spectators, but it's a non-professional, casual setting. You should join as well!"

Falco fell quiet again, thinking of her devastating loss against her father. Her golden eyes turned cloudy and muddled by her thoughts, making Thatch worried.

"Hey, are you okay?" Thatch asked. "Seriously, you should let me know if there's something wrong."

How could she tell him? She didn't want to appear weak before her friend.

"Oi!" Amare suddenly cried from the other side of the deck. She had taken Ace's tattered cowboy hat and put it on, closing her eyes and snorting loudly. "Look at me, I'm Ace!"

"Why you—" the vice-commander mumbled, chasing after the young girl who squealed with delight.

Falco glanced at Amare with a small smile. "I'll watch her."

The commander sighed, knowing that Falco would never truthfully answer. He also turned to look at the girl. "She's a sweet one, isn't she? Most kids her age tend to be brats but she's different. She has the heart of a child but thinks like an adult—you can tell whatever her past life was, it wasn't easy. We found her alone on an island, very sick and weak—but she never stopped fighting. She won't tell us what happened, but it doesn't matter."

Falco looked sadly at Amare and Ace who were running around several crewmates that were drinking on deck. "Why do people hurt each other?"

Thatch glanced at his junior and leaned back against the rails. "Well, that's a hard question to answer. There's a lot of different reasons. But whatever it is, all of us carry a weight from the past. But as a family, we can carry those weights together."

He turned to face her. "You know, all of us have a reason to be sailing on the seas. You want to defeat your father and your grandfather. Ace wants to make Oyaji the king of the seas. And I have my own dreams too. But Amare… Amare's reason for sailing actually coincides with Oyaji's."

Falco looked at him curiously.

Thatch gave her the softest of smiles as his eyes crinkled into crescents. And at that moment, the sunlight felt a bit more gentle, the breeze felt a bit more warmer, and the seas seemed slightly calmer. It felt like time had suddenly slowed into an everlasting spring.

In the corner of her eyes, she could see Ace stuffing his face with food that Mir had brought him. Florence was attending to Oyaji's health with several other nurses while Marco carefully studied a map. Reagan was talking to several crew members and Talis was beginning a duel with another vice-commander.

It felt so warm. She wanted to bask in this feeling forever. She wanted to remember this forever.

"A family."

Amare's eyes suddenly met with her own and Falco could immediately realize why she had felt so nostalgic. She had long forgotten why she hated Mihawk and Akainu but vowed to keep training, even with an unclear motive. But perhaps deep down inside, her true wish was to have one thing—a family. With her mother gone and her remaining family members out to kill her, Falco had used the loneliness as a catalyst to train even more.

Amare was like a daughter to her. She gave Falco the familial love she was so unfamiliar with, but it was also the thing that she had longed for the most.

The young girl bounded up to Falco, Ace's hat sliding off as she leaped into her arms. Ace noticed and ran towards the two, grinning widely like a happy child.

With Amare in her arms and Ace's bright smile, a tiny, tiny portion of the weights she had carried all throughout her life suddenly felt lighter.

"They seem like a family, don't they?" Marco asked Thatch, watching the three talk and bicker. "Reminds me of Maria."

"You're too sentimental," the fourth division's commander scoffed. "She's gone and Falco's a person of her own. Don't get the two mixed up."

Marco gazed at them silently for a few moments. "I can't forget her, Thatch."

"No one told you to forget," the commander smiled. "I'm just saying that they're fundamentally different people."

Ace caught the two staring and skipped over to them, looking suspicious. "And what are you two gossiping about on this glorious afternoon? Do share, do share."

"Nothing, just felt bad for Falco because now she has to take care of Amare _and_ you. Poor thing, attending to two kids."

"Attending— _kid_?!" Ace screeched, letting his fists fly at Thatch's face. "I'm _older_ than her and I'm _not_ a kid!"

The crew members laughed at Thatch's incessant teasing while Ace vehemently disagreed with the statement. Amare walked up to the First Division's commander, holding Falco's hand.

"Yo," she said. "Where are we going next?"

"A local island nearby called Lambon," he smiled. "We're running dangerously low on supplies right now so we need to stock up, but we also need to go for two other reasons."

"I heard Thatch saying we'll attend an annual sports festival!" Amare said happily. "What's the other reason?"

"Do you remember the vice-commander who got captured?" He questioned. "Carlos? We're en route to go bring him back. Jozu's been tracking the ship that's been transporting him for the past few weeks. Communication hasn't been efficient but we move where he tells us to, and I guess that Marine fleet visited Lambon at one point. They're most likely gone now but since it's close, we're going to dock to get some supplies."

"Why would a Marine ship take several weeks to transport a vice-commander? Shouldn't he be sent to a Marine base as soon as possible?" Amare asked.

The commander shrugged. "You're absolutely correct, but I have several theories. The biggest underwater prison is Impel Down, but that's very far away from here. My guess is, they've been transported from one large base to another, hence the multiple stops. We're trying to catch them before they reach the prison, where there's a lot more backup."

"How come they haven't killed him right away?" Falco asked quietly.

Marco shrugged. "My guess is that they don't know the true value of Carlos—he became a vice-commander recently. He's incredibly strong but hides himself well which is why he's one of the only people here who doesn't have a bounty. And because none of us have declared war on the Marines or even asked for them back, they're probably thinking that his platform's not very harmful or he's just an imposter of our crew."

"Vice-Commander Carlos isn't as strong as fukubuchou," Amare pointed out. "But he's still pretty powerful and really smart—he's a popular choice for the commander position."

"And because he doesn't have a bounty, he's a good pick for difficult infiltration missions," Marco nodded. "We've kept low because we don't want to cause a scene that could end up getting the entire platform executed, but he's an integral part of our family so we want him back as soon as we can."

Before Falco could take in all of the new information, Ace walked up to her, looking annoyed.

"Hey," he said seriously. "Do I look like a kid?"

Falco deadpanned. "Yes."

Amare and Thatch laughed in the background while Ace grabbed his hair and squatted, looking miserable. "What do I have to do to prove that I'm a man?!"

"Well," Thatch said, putting Ace in a headlock. "You could try winning the basketball competition this year."

"Too easy!" Ace scoffed, misery evaporating immediately. "No one beats me in basketball."

Everyone in the vicinity laughed at the easygoing conversation.

"Ah, that reminds me," Marco said. "We should probably get you a checkup with a local doctor."

Falco looked confused. "M-me? I'm not sick."

"Not for a physical—Florence can do that. I'm talking about your amnesia."

The girl blinked. "I… don't think a doctor will be of much help."

"You never know," the commander said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll go and get you checked, anyways."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VI: Front Foot Forward**

* * *

"So I've done all the tests I can," the doctor said. "I don't believe there's anything inherently wrong with her brain—most amnesiacs are like that. The brain is a mysterious thing and a Devil Fruit on top of that —well, it certainly is perplexing. Scientifically speaking, it's hard to understand how a Devil Fruit would affect the brain since both things are not yet well understood."

Falco sighed softly. _I knew it_ _._

Marco furrowed his eyebrows, looking upset. "So she'll just have to live with it?"

"Most likely," the doctor nodded. "But I do want to ask one thing, if you don't mind. Miss Falco, did you have a traumatic past, by any chance?"

Flashes of yesterday's match replayed in her mind. She forced herself to forget and shook her head quickly.

The doctor tried again. "I'll reiterate. I don't mean a bad past as in something that simply makes you mad or upset. I mean something like shock. Anger and hatred can be calculated but shock can add lots to trauma. My guess is—whether this trauma is related to your familial ties or not—maybe you've had a traumatic event and your brain is trying its best to make you forget."

Falco furrowed her eyebrows. "You're saying… I'm forcing myself to forget?"

"The point is, it's a little odd how you have absolutely no memory of your past. Some amnesiacs, though not all, can remember little bits. In your case, however, you remember nothing. That could be related to your Devil Fruit, sure, but it can also be something greater."

That wasn't completely true though—she heard voices when she ate the steak that Ace had cooked for her. Perhaps the doctor was onto something—maybe her body remembered everything deep inside, but she made no efforts to remember again because her past was nothing but trauma and pain.

"So it's either she looks for that memory and remembers the traumatic events or she just continues to live, not knowing who she really is for the rest of her life?" Marco asked with disbelief.

He nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Falco wasn't sure which one was worse. Not a lot of things bothered her in general, so if this event was traumatic enough to scare her into forgetting everything, she wasn't sure if it was worth looking back on. Most of her past seemed pretty sad, anyways.

Ace, who was also waiting in the room with the other members, finally spoke up. "What are the chances that she'll recover her memories?"

"Well," the doctor sighed. "Amnesia is actually not that common so it's quite hard to understand. But after hearing about that Devil Fruit ability, it's even more confusing. What are the chances? It can be very high or it can be very low. Most people who try to remember or face circumstances similar to their past end up remembering fragments—not sure what it will be like in Falco's case though."

"I think we've heard enough," Thatch said, cautiously observing Falco's darkening face. "Thank you for your time."

The doctor nodded. "Sorry I can't be of much help. Miss Florence is a great nurse though so she'll take good care of you."

"You can count on me!" she grinned, giving Falco a thumbs-up. The girl smiled back worriedly, knowing fully well that there was no one who could truly help her—not even Florence.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VI: Front Foot Forward**

* * *

The scenery outside was busy, to say the least. It was a good thing that Falco, Ace, Florence, Thatch, Amare, and Marco had decided to visit the clinic first thing in the morning because by the time they were leaving, people had already lined up due to injuries from the sports festival.

The streets were overwhelmingly busy and Falco doubted that there was anyone indoors on the massive island. It reminded her slightly of her past home—Root Island—with its baked, brown tiled houses and its large, inhabitable forest which covered the majority of the inner island. Every day on that summer isle had been like a festival.

Most of the sports, like what Marco had explained, seemed unofficial. A basketball court had two referees with several players while the tennis court next to it also featured some kind of round-robin match.

"Hey," said Amare, walking up to Ace. "Are you going to play a sport?"

The vice-commander grinned. "Sure am. I'll play basketball first and if I'm up for it, maybe a round of baseball. Thatch and Marco are pretty good players too."

"I'll be rooting for you in the seats," said Florence, smiling as she placed her hands on Marco and Thatch's shoulders. "C'mon gents, let's watch Ace lose."

"That's—wait, what?" questioned Ace. "I am _not_ going to lose!"

Everyone laughed heartily while Falco turned her attention to Amare. "Do you play a sport?"

The young girl gave her a dangerous look and smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "I am absolutely 'lit' at hopscotch."

Falco sweatdropped. "I-I see."

"What about you?" asked Ace. "You play something?"

Thatch answered before she could. "I put her in the swordfighting competition."

Her eyes widened at disbelief. _He WHAT?_

Before she had a chance to ask Thatch to withdraw her application, Ace began to back away, waving at the group. "I'll see you guys later! Need to get changed!"

Marco, Thatch, Florence, and Amare all yelled out cries of encouragement as Falco stared with disbelief. She didn't want to ruin their moods by arguing—she would just have to forfeit later. Her battle against Mihawk was still too fresh for her to confidently fight again.

By the time the five of them found a space on the bleachers, Ace was already beginning to warm up on the courts, wearing a red and white uniform with a black knee guard. It suited him well, Falco thought. Warm colours had always looked great on the vice-commander. The other team wore a blue uniform, outlined by grey hems.

The referee blew the whistle and tossed the ball up. Though the opponent was taller than Ace, the young vice-commander tipped the ball over to his side first, shouting something as his teammates dispersed onto the court.

For some reason, Ace yelling and pointing his fingers to lead his team made Falco smile. The man never showed his serious side very often but when he did, she knew he meant business. It was… cute, she supposed. She liked how he was always bubbly and made her feel at ease while they were together but turned completely serious when it was something important.

Falco didn't know what Ace was truly like as a vice-commander but it was probably close to how he acted on the court. Without being pushy or overbearing, he deemed respect and cooperation from everyone on his team, even though the majority of the players seemed older than him. And Falco understood that it probably wasn't easy to get strangers to listen to you.

"Whoo!" Amare cried next to her, waving a foamy finger around. "Go fukubuchou!"

"You got this, Ace!" Thatch cried, pumping his fist in the air. "Run faster!"

Despite all their teasing earlier, everyone seemed to be cheering for his win. And indeed, Ace seemed like a reliable player—his feet moved quickly, his jumps were powerful, and he scored every basket that he had attempted so far. It was like everyone _knew_ Ace would carry the game to victory. He truly was a leader on the court.

Ace panted heavily as the teams gathered for a meeting. After saying a few quick words, they dispersed again, but not before looking into the crowd. He caught Falco's eyes and grinned, waving enthusiastically.

Falco returned a small smile of her own and gave him a little wave back before two girls in front of her stood up, screaming.

"That's him, right?" one blonde girl shrieked. "Oh my god, he's so hot!"

"Young too," a brunette next to her sighed. "Maybe I'll join the Whitebeard Pirates."

"He waved at me," the blonde one said. "He totally waved at me."

"No, it was me."

"I don't think so. My shirt is more flashier."

Falco listened to their conversation quietly and felt herself feeling surprised. She had felt it before with Mir and Talis but now she was sure that Ace's popularity was very much real, both inside and outside of the crew. In a way, it made her feel honoured that he didn't mind being acquaintances with her but at the same time, it made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Kid's popular, as always," chuckled Thatch, watching the rows of girls cheering for Ace. "His wanted poster attracted a bit more than bounty hunters, it seems."

"Wonder if he'll ever get a girlfriend," mumbled Florence, looking absentminded. "Thought he'd date Mir for sure."

"Nah, Ace wasn't really interested in her," Marco shrugged. When Florence gave him a skeptical look, he said: "I mean, sure they may have had _something_ , but Mir always complained that Ace always kept his distance from her. He was always friendly, but she could never get him to talk about himself."

"Do you want to get married?" Amare asked the nurse. The blonde woman sighed happily. "Definitely. I don't care if he's a civilian or a pirate—I just want someone who can pamper me."

"What about you, young lady?" Thatch asked Falco.

The girl thought she'd misheard. "M-me?"

He nodded.

"N-not sure." Truth be told, she'd never really thought about getting into a relationship at all. It was difficult to make friends, let alone getting a boyfriend. It wasn't that she had never considered it—a relationship _could_ be nice but it just wasn't a priority.

The match soon wrapped up with Ace's team ultimately winning first place—it was no surprise as he had scored the majority of the goals. Both teams shook hands after accepting their medals, and the crowd took that chance to surround Ace.

"Ace!" someone squealed. "Do you want to grab a drink after?"

"C'mon, hang out with us! You'll be sick of seeing everyone on board anyways."

"Wanna join our team for baseball later?"

Falco knew she would've panicked if there was such a large crowd around her, but Ace simply declined every offer with an apologetic smile on his face. He wasn't like the stereotypical pirate—she knew that he was cultured and well-mannered, even more so than Thatch and Marco because he took extra caution. She suddenly remembered what Thatch had just asked her and blushed.

Ace caught Falco's golden eyes and waved frantically. "Hey! Falco! We'll be late for your match!"

As if on cue, everyone's eyes turned to her and Falco could instantly feel herself freezing up. She was barely used to the 1600 eyes of the Whitebeard Pirates—but the angry and jealous stares of these strangers made her even more nervous.

Ace quickly realized his mistake and weaved through the crowd, instantly going up to her side.

"C'mon," he whispered, giving her a soft smile. He gently clasped a hand around her eyes to prevent her from seeing anything and led her away. Though Falco appreciated the kind gesture, Ace couldn't stop her from hearing the crowd.

 _"Who's that bitch?"_

 _"Is she part of the Whitebeard Pirates?"_

 _"…Strange coloured eyes."_

"Sorry," she heard Ace say once they were away from the crowd. "I should've been more careful."

Falco gently lowered his hand and shook her head, giving him a sheepish grin. "I'm fine, Ace. Congratulations on your win."

"Thanks," he grinned. "Say, where are the others?"

Falco looked around the crowded gym and realized that her group had left the bleachers.

"Don't know," she said slowly. "Maybe… they're at the swordfighting arena."

Ace nodded. "Your match starts soon anyways, so let's go over and regroup."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VI: Front Foot Forward**

* * *

Sure enough, Florence, Thatch, Marco, and Amare had already been seated in the bleachers. Falco recognized a few more crew members like Reagan, Izou, Mir, and Talis who all sat some rows away from the main group.

"Well," said Ace, giving her a thumbs up. "I'll be in the bleachers. Good luck!"

Falco nodded worriedly, quietly staring at the floor.

Suddenly, Ace ran back to her and placed a hand on her head.

"Hey," he whispered. "You're gonna be all right. Just try your best. I know it might be hard after facing Mihawk but this is just another obstacle that can help you get stronger. And if it gets too dangerous, I'll jump in and help you, okay?"

Falco felt herself being slightly pressured—she couldn't forfeit after his kind words. Giving him a little smile, she asked: "How do you always manage to say the right things?"

"Well," Ace thought, looking upwards. "Maybe it's because we're alike, you and I."

Before she had a chance to ask what he was talking about, Ace had already retreated to the bleachers. She shook her head and sighed, stretching her fingers now that she couldn't get out of fighting.

 _Should be a piece of cake._ She thought, eyeing her competitors. _No one here should be able to match me._

She wanted validation. She wanted to show Ace that she had lost her fight against her father because she wasn't feeling well after the dangerous flight. It wasn't _her_ , it was the circumstances around her. Falco didn't want to think that her ten years had gone to waste—the next time she battled Mihawk, she would emerge victorious.

And as she predicted, she had won every battle with ease. Most of the time she resorted to using her dull blade, not wanting to injure anyone too badly. It was more of an evade-then-attack sort of game, rather than a full-out battle.

By her sixth win, she knew that she was close to the finals, if not already. And sure enough, when the arena had called out her name, a loud chant echoed her name repeatedly.

"Go, Falco!" Amare cried, pumping her fist into the air. "You got this!"

"Next up, challenging this gorgeous swordsman for the number one title, Vista!" The referee cried.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Thatch and Amare spit out their drinks.

"Wait, how did we miss Vista?" Ace asked.

Amare looked at her seniors curiously. "Vista's on the island? I thought he was gone on a mission."

"He was fighting in the arena behind us," Florence explained.

Falco tried her best to remember who Vista was—she did not recall seeing anyone with that name from their last general meeting, but she wouldn't have remembered his name, had he been a vice-commander.

 _Kaken no Vista._ She suddenly recalled. She had never seen him fight before in person but she had seen photos of him in the newspaper—graceful and gorgeous swordsmanship that danced with the flower petals—he _had_ to be a great swordsman.

The commander walked up to her first and extended a hand. "Pleased to meet you," he whispered quietly so that no one else could hear. "Daughter of Dracule Mihawk and Star D. Maria."

"Likewise," said Falco. "Flower Sword Vista."

"I'm surprised you know who I am. I have been away on a mission and returned here to group up," he smiled. "But you are correct. I am the Fifth Division's Commander, Vista. It is my honour to be able to fight you."

Falco couldn't find her voice at that moment. She didn't know the specifics but this man was _powerful_. There was a strange aura radiating off of him, one that made her shiver with fear.

Noticing her discomfort, Vista raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she replied curtly. _Damn. He knows I'm nervous._

"Steady," the referee said, once they stood on opposite sides of the arena. Falco pulled out her katana, knowing that a dull blade would get her killed. "GO!"

Falco sped forwards, aiming to use her speed and mobility to overpower Vista and finish the match quickly.

The commander put his sabre before him and deflected her first shot, but Falco took that power to quickly spin and grab her second katana in reverse grip, aiming to get another strike. When Vista deflected that one, she simply kicked herself away and landed back into her original position.

"Not bad," smiled Vista. "But I know you can do more."

 _Damn right I can,_ thought Falco, throwing herself forwards again. " _Senmai!_ "

Amare's eyes widened as she watched the older woman attack Vista. "A Thousand Blades," she whispered. "Holy—look how fast she is!"

Falco propelled herself quickly and struck as hard as she could with the first attack. When Vista easily deflected it, she stepped on the ground and immediately jumped again. Her strikes were so quick that she struck multiple times within one jump, and even when she hit the ground, she didn't take a second to rest and immediately launched herself forward again.

After her final strike and realizing that she was only wasting energy, Falco did a backflip to give them distance.

"Ah. You have an odd way of holding your swords," Vista noted.

"I get that a lot," she said, gritting her teeth. "Fight seriously."

Vista was quiet for a moment, eyeing her cautiously.

 _Come on,_ she repeated in her head. _Attack me. I can't lose like yesterday. I have to win. I have to beat Vista in order to—_

Her train of thought was shattered when Vista sped forwards with a speed that almost matched hers with her nimble body. But Vista was much larger than Falco and he used it to his full advantage. Using his entire body weight, he struck forwards with such a tremendous force that she knew she would've died if it wasn't for her quick reaction time.

Vista's eyes had a dangerous glint, staring down terrifyingly at her. His weight was absolutely crushing—one hand was on the handle of her katana and the other was near the tip to help her push back his weight.

"Whoa!" Marco cried, standing up abruptly. "That was way too close and way too dangerous, even for Vista's standards."

"Yeah," said Ace. "Vista isn't a merciless person."

"He's playing aggressively," whispered Amare. "Because Falco's not fighting like herself. He's trying to draw it out."

Falco's bare hand began to bleed, causing gasps to come out of the audience.

"She's bleeding!" Ace cried. "I'll go stop the match!"

"Wait," intervened Thatch, watching the two solemnly. "It's about to get interesting."

Falco's head was pounding. Her entire body ached for some reason. Her hand hurt—one was bleeding, the other was cramped, and the injury that Mihawk had given her yesterday felt like it was reopening.

But Vista's eyes showed no mercy even when she felt so weak. Her eyes had betrayed her emotions—she could feel it.

 _Why are you so afraid?_ She asked herself. _You love swordfighting. You're a good swordsman. What is it that you fear?_

She knew. She knew it deep inside.

 _I can be second best to Mihawk,_ she told herself. _But if I lose to somebody else other than him, then what will my life have been for? What will the years of training and isolation have been for?_

And suddenly, it was like time had slowed down. She felt herself quickly sidestepping, rotating her katana so Vista almost slid off her blade. She knew Vista had left himself vulnerable—it was either he exposed himself completely and struck downwards using all of his body weight, or he could try a weaker attack and not leave himself as vulnerable.

As Vista fell, Falco quickly grabbed her odachi and placed it next to his neck. Time flew freely again, and the next thing she noticed was Vista falling to the ground and her blade at his throat.

Ace's eyes widened. "What just happened? How did she move so fast?"

"That… that was haki," said Thatch. "But what could that have been? Conqueror's Haki? Felt too weak to be one—even the townspeople are still awake."

"It's probably is," Marco said, crossing his arms. "Looks like her years of training didn't go to naught, though the colour is very weak."

 _A Conqueror's Haki that can't even defeat the willpower of ordinary townspeople._ Thought Ace. _But it looks like you overcame your own will, Falco._

Falco panted heavily, glad that the match was over. "Thank go—"

Vista suddenly whipped his leg out, kicking her to the edge of the arena. She crashed into its walls and gasped out in pain, dropping her swords.

"Falco, watch out!" Amare cried. But it was too late.

By the time she had looked up, Vista already had a sabre in front of her nose.

"My win."

 _Two can play this game,_ she thought, gritting her teeth. She quickly lunged for her katana and struck again. This time, it wasn't calculated—this was her true style. She wasn't like other swordsmen who always used creative moves. To her, everything boiled down into the basics. Her fighting style focused largely on attacks with fast, deep strikes that didn't need a fancy name.

"Oh?" said Vista. "Looks like you're not as nervous anymore."

She bit her tongue hard. Vista was too good—he read her way too quickly while all she could see from his eyes were amusement.

 _He's playing me…_ the girl thought. "Take this!"

Instead of striking separately, she struck down both her swords at the same time but quickly realized how futile her attacks were. This sort of move worked well for single-sworded fighters who would have trouble deflecting both blades if they moved at the same time, but Vista was a great nittoryu swordsman himself—and before she knew it, he had completely backed her into a wall.

 _Damn,_ Falco thought to herself. _He got me._

This time, Vista went for a quick strike of his own.

"The moment you think you've lost," he said between each strikes. "That's when it's over!"

He struck her blades away from her hands as she walked backwards. Her back hit the wall but Vista would not even let her fall onto the ground. He pinned a sabre under her arm, effectively keeping her up.

"Match goes to," referee said. "Vista!"

The crowd all stood up and cheered, talking excitedly amongst each other.

"That was such a fun battle to watch!"

"Whitebeard's crew is incredible, as always!"

"I'm a fan of _both_ of them!"

All of their voices sounded muffled in Falco's ear. She couldn't hear anything except for the echoing voice inside of her head that told her repeatedly of yet another failure.

 _Weakling._

"Falco!" Ace cried, running towards her side. "Hey, are you okay?"

Tears welled in her eyes—she suddenly felt angry. "Why didn't you stop the match?"

The vice-commander looked taken aback. He tried to raise his arm to help her up, but Falco smacked it away.

"You said you'd stop the match before if it got bad," she cried, tears dripping down her face. "Why didn't you stop it?"

By now, Florence, Thatch, Amare, and Marco had joined Ace's side, looking at Falco in surprise and worry.

"I bled," she said. "I got hurt. You lied to me."

Ace blinked several times, looking shocked and confused. "I-I'm sorry—"

"Just leave me alone."

She picked her swords up and walked away abruptly, purposely avoiding Vista's gaze as she sped by him at the exit.

 _Weakling._

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VI: Front Foot Forward**

* * *

Getting mad at Ace was completely unacceptable. She knew it. He was there at the perfect time to vent her anger at.

So now she was a weakling, friendless, and a sore loser. Wonderful.

She hugged her legs tightly to her body, letting out a choked cry. How stupid. She could've beaten Vista. It wouldn't have been easy, but it shouldn't have been too big of a challenge either. Yet he had read her, beginning to end.

Once again, her father had taken another thing away from her.

 _But this isn't Mihawk's fault._ A voice inside her said. _You lost to Vista, fair and square._

 _Shut up._

 _It's true, isn't it? You lashed your anger out to Ace in front of everyone and you ran away. Yet you still continue to blame Mihawk._

 _Shut up._

 _You blame Mihawk because he ruined your family, but he didn't ruin your friendships—that was all you._

 _SHUT UP!_

Falco knew deep inside that she resented herself the most—there was no excuse for it. It was her choice to remain on Root Island for so many years, it was her choice to keep running away from her problems rather than fighting them head-on, and it was her choice to believe that she was strong when she was not.

When she heard footsteps echo down the hallway, she was ready to lash out and make them leave.

"Hey," a quiet voice said.

Falco looked up cautiously, only to find Amare looking at her worriedly. "Oh… it's you. Sorry, Amare, I'm not really in the mood right now."

The child crouched down and peered closely at Falco's golden eyes, emerald orbs looking at her in concern.

"You okay?" she asked quietly. "Please don't cry."

Falco let out a sniffle before quickly wiping her tears away. "I'm sorry. I don't deserve you or Ace—I was so mean to him."

"He tried to go," she frowned, patting her shoulder gently. "Thatch was the one who stopped him."

 _Great, I even got mad at the wrong person._ She thought, rolling her eyes despite her tears. "He hates me."

Amare blinked. "That's a pretty weird conclusion. I doubt Ace hates you—he understands why you were upset. And if Ace is the guy I know he is, I think he'll forgive you."

Falco hiccuped, looking at her worriedly. "H-how?"

"Well," the young girl shrugged. "It all starts with an apology."

Amare stood up first and extended a hand to the older girl. "C'mon, let's go talk to him. Despite all of my teasing, I still respect Ace as a fukubuchou because he's kind, but most of all, he believes in second chances. There's no ways he's mad—I think he's worried, if anything."

Falco wiped her tears away roughly before taking Amare's hand and standing up. "You're right. I'll go apologize to him."

She sniffled softly, walking down the hall where Marco, Thatch, Florence, Ace, and Vista were. The group stood in a circle, talking worriedly.

"Hiya, fukubuchou!" Amare smiled. "'Lo, Vista!"

"Hello, little one," the commander smiled affectionately. "You've grown taller since the last time I saw you!"

"Golly, you're just saying that to flatter me," she giggled, then turned to Ace. "Falco wants to say something to you."

The man looked at Falco and when he did, she felt even more guilty. Ace's eyes showed no signs of anger or annoyance, just worry and concern.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "I lashed out at you for no good—"

Before she could even finish her words, Ace quickly stepped forwards and pulled her into a tight embrace, causing Florence and Amare to let out a squeal.

"I'm sorry too," he whispered, burrowing his face into her hair. "You got hurt."

It wasn't his fault—he didn't need to apologize—but no words would come out of her mouth so she stood still in his arms, crying once again.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VI: Front Foot Forward**

* * *

Amare hadn't been kidding when she said she played hopscotch competitively. Falco didn't even _know_ that hopscotch was competitive, until she saw the little girl flip and twirl expertly on the concrete floors. Actually, it was strange that the sport was even part of the main events for children—didn't young kids like to play tag and hide-and-seek these days?

Amare would do backflips or jump over a lengthy space in one go, causing the crowd to gape in awe. When she had won first place (and rightfully so), she ran back to Falco who picked her up and spun her in the air. She and Ace held out their gold medals while Falco held out her silver one.

Vista smiled, looking at the three with a soft expression.

"How was your mission?" Thatch asked, walking next to the commander. "Did you find any information?"

"You were correct," the swordsman said, turning to Marco. "I don't think they realize that Carlos is part of our crew. They were going to interrogate him when they get to Impel Down."

"Any news from Jozu?" Marco asked, watching Ace, Falco, and Amare racing towards the ship.

"He's found them—they're being kept secretly at a small base right now. Coordinates are taking a while because they've been jumping on different bases frequently, in order to shake off any followers."

Thatch nodded. "We'll move as soon as we get their location."

Amare had climbed out of Falco's shoulders and sprinted next to Ace, tripping the vice-commander by sticking out one foot. Ace landed head-first into the sand, causing Falco to burst out into laughter.

Vista looked at them wistfully. "The girl… she reminds me very much of Maria."

"Oh, not you too," said Florence, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. "But she's different in her own right. No one will ever be exactly like Maria."

"Falco is her own person," said Thatch. "I think she fits right in with us."

"Her and Ace," started Vista. "Do they have something going on?"

"I don't think so, not with Amare always next to them," Marco shrugged. Choosing his next words carefully, he said: "But… I think there's a part of Ace that sees his past self in Falco. It's a side that makes him a little nostalgic, a little painful. He takes really good care of her, you know. They have pretty similar backgrounds, too."

"He's a good person," the swordsman nodded. "I'm glad he's helping her. And who knows? Maybe she can help him too."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Cliche writing is honestly not my style (though I do use it often since I'm lazy). There were a lot of cliche moments here and there, but I tried my best to not let it interfere with the flow of the story.**

 **I hope some of you have perhaps noticed that right now, Falco's identity has been completely contested. One of the reasons why she uses swordfighting as a crutch so much is because that's the only thing she really knows about herself. To the Whitebeard Pirates, she is Maria. To the rest of the world, she is Dracule Mihawk's daughter or Akainu's granddaughter. She can't fight for herself because she doesn't know who she truly is—so she accepts the identities thrown at her because she'd rather have something to hold on to than nothing.**

 **This is also where Ace and Amare come in. Amare's past won't be revealed, but we all know Ace's lineage. He accepts her for who she is—an amnesiac who is often shy and a little brash—because he wouldn't want others judging him and labelling him with an identity he rejects.**

 **I'm not a fan of the damsel in distress trope, so I hope that this interpretation of Falco is okay. She doesn't ask Ace to rescue her—she's determined to achieve her own dreams without the help of others, but his friendship and his presence is something that is unique and special to her.**

 **Please leave a review!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **February 2019 Update:**

 **Not too much plot-wise, and a couple of tweaks here and there. I've also been revamping the Author's Notes to hopefully explain the story a bit more, rather than me just rambling about how much I hate myself for writing such long chapters...**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:  
** **GushaxZero**


	7. Unhappy Premonitions are Never Wrong

**I don't know what happened with chapter 6 but it got some of the most traffic I've ever seen! If you are new here, thank you for stopping by. My name is Jeis and I am currently uploading this story bi-weekly.**

 **I've you've been here for a while, you'll likely remember that I struggled a lot with this chapter. To write something that wasn't boring, accurate, and yet didn't give everything away was a huge undertaking. I wrote _twelve_ different versions, possibly even more, and I'm still not sure if I'm happy with the result.**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Unhappy Premonitions Are Never Wrong**

* * *

 _If you cannot even protect yourself_

 _How do you expect to protect the ones you love?_

* * *

Falco sipped the warm tea that Ace had prepared for her. The man was currently showering and Falco had taken the time to read through some of her past entries. It felt fascinating to be able to understand the meaning behind her words—it was like she didn't need to worry about her memories anymore because she could simply write them down and recall them later.

"Falco!" Amare cried, running into the room. "Look what I have!"

She held two muffins proudly, showing them off to the older girl.

"Amare," Falco smiled softly. "What do you have there?"

"It's a muffin!" She grinned. "You can have one! Florence helped me bake them!"

Falco took one graciously, taking a small bite out of the pastry. Her eyes widened at the sweet taste.

"It's very nice," she smiled. "You and Ace are both good at cooking, aren't you?"

The young girl nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! But fukutaichou sucks at baking—he gets impatient with the oven and ends up burning everything. I'm going to give this one to him—is he in the shower?"

Falco nodded. "Yes, but you should wait—"

"Hey, fukutaichou!" Amare yelled happily, opening the door to their private bathroom. Falco saw the steam seeping out as well as the sound of running water.

"Hm— _AHH!_ AMARE, GET OUT!" She heard Ace's scream, followed by the clattering sounds of the shower curtains.

"Hey, look! A muffin!"

" _NO,_ DON'T LOOK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!"

"I made it for you!"

"Amare," Falco heard Ace's voice. She could tell that he was trying his best to stay calm without crying. "As much as I appreciate your muffin I would appreciate if I could shower _alone_."

"You should eat it before it gets cold."

"I'm fire for heaven's sake! I'll warm it up myself later—"

"No, you always burn the pastries," Amare pouted. "Just eat it!"

Falco heard nothing but the sound of running water for a few seconds.

"Mm, ish goof!" She heard Ace's stuffed voice. "Plweaf let me shower."

"Okay," said Amare. "Thanks for your clothes!"

"Wha—AMARE, YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

The young girl burst out of the bathroom holding what seemed to be Ace's pants. The young vice-commander jumped out a moment later with nothing but a towel covering his waist. He quickly caught Amare who squealed in surprise and shook his head, letting drops of water fly everywhere.

"Eek!" Amare shrieked. "Don't hold me, fukutaichou! You're soaking my clothes!"

"It's punishment for stealing," said Ace, putting Amare down. "I can't run around like this—gotta look professional so that I can become a commander."

Amare frowned and crossed her little arms. "You won't have time to play with me if you become a commander though."

"Nonsense," Ace smiled. "I'll always make time for you. Falco's here too!"

It was at that moment the vice-commander realized that she was still in the room, and he was still wearing nothing but a towel. Both flushed so brightly that Amare could feel the heat radiating off their skin.

"I'm going to uh, resume my shower now," said Ace awkwardly, scratching his neck. "God dammit, this is why I told Marco we needed new locks…"

Once Ace closed the door, Amare turned to Falco and jumped into her arms.

"You're blushing," she teased. "You guys are too cute."

Falco grabbed Amare's nose and yanked it gently. "I could say the same thing to you, little one."

The child began playing with a strand of Falco's wavy brown hair. "Ace is too nice. He doesn't get mad at me even when he should."

Falco gave the young girl a surprised look. "You _want_ him to get mad at you?"

"No!" Cried Amare. "But I don't know, I guess I'm just worried that people will take advantage of him. Ace isn't stupid or anything but he'll let people hurt him if it makes them feel better. He's just that kind of a guy."

Falco nodded slowly. "Ace doesn't seem to be like the… y'know, typical pirate."

Amare gave her a toothy grin. "Right? He's polite and gentle, but don't let that deceive you—he's an incredible fighter when he needs to be."

 _I wonder why a guy like him became a pirate though._ Falco thought. _Does he just like fighting?_

"I like Ace," Amare said suddenly. "He's the closest thing I have to a real family. I love everyone on this ship but I'm the closest to him. He takes really good care of me, even though we're technically strangers."

Falco wanted to ask about Amare's past, but she didn't feel that it would be polite to pry.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm pretty protective of him," Amare pointed out quietly. "He's like a dad, brother, and a captain all rolled into one. So I don't let a lot of people get close to him… but I think I can trust you!"

Falco pulled the young girl closer to herself. "Thank you, Amare. I'll protect Ace too, for as long as I'm in the crew."

"He's selfless to the people he loves," whispered the young sniper. "But 1600 people are a lot to protect. He can't do it alone—if something happens, please help him."

She stroked Amare's hair slowly. "Nothing's going to happen. And I'll make sure no one will take advantage of Ace's kindness either."

Amare visibly relaxed. "Thanks, Falco. I guess I'm just a little paranoid. It feels so surreal, being happy every day with you and Ace. I know he has to work hard to become a commander and you have to train in order to defeat your father, but every day that's gone by almost feels timeless."

Falco knew what she meant—her time with the Whitebeard Pirates had given her such vivid memories that it felt like she had been with them since the very beginning. Even though she was working hard to break out of her shy interior, everyone had been kind and encouraging so far.

The bathroom door suddenly creaked open to reveal Ace who was in beige cargo shorts and a black collared t-shirt. A towel hung loosely around his neck as drops of water fell onto them.

"Ace!" Amare cried, running up to him. The vice-commander lifted her up easily and grinned.

"Hello there, Amare! It's nice to see you when I'm clothed."

"Ah, no worries!" The little girl said with a cute grin. "You can go out there naked and I'm sure the nurses will thank me for it!"

"Ha ha, very funny," Ace said, rolling his eyes. He sat down on a chair and grabbed his Log Pose from the table, frowning as he looked at it.

Amare also stared at the artifact in his hands. "That's your Log Pose, isn't it? Is it broken?"

"I think so," Ace grumbled. "Damn it, I liked it a lot too—there's not a lot of Log Poses that you can wear as a bracelet since they're pretty delicate."

"Let me see!" The child cried, taking the compass away from his grip. "Whoa, you're right! It's just spinning really fast right!"

Falco could see the erratic motion of the needles from the corner of her eye. She didn't understand why Ace had a Log Pose—after all, she learned that the _Moby Dick_ had a navigation team that helped the crew sail the Grand Line.

 _Knock knock._

All three heads looked towards the door where they saw Marco leaning against the wooden frame of their wall.

"The baseball match is starting soon—we should go early to change and grab seats," the commander said.

Falco furrowed her eyebrows. "Why do we need to change?"

"Well…" Ace started.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VII: Unhappy Premonitions Are Never Wrong**

* * *

"You… can't be serious," Falco gasped. Amare and Florence sat next to her, holding foam fingers and chanting loudly.

"Oh, we're dead serious," grinned Florence. "This is why Lambon Island likes to host us!"

Falco stared at the field in awe. On one side, several young men stood on the field wearing white uniforms. On the other side, the Whitebeard Pirates began a group cheer, wearing black uniforms. She recognized Ace, Thatch, Marco, Reagan, as well as several other commanders and vice-commanders.

The entire stadium was extremely packed—no other events were going on at the moment so the entire island seemed to have gathered to watch the baseball match.

"I didn't know they played baseball," said Falco absentmindedly. "I thought Ace only knew how to play basketball."

"As reliable as he is as a vice-commander, he's also only nineteen," Florence reminded her with a smile. "He likes being active so he'll play with whatever he can get his hands on. The deck is pretty big too so games like catch or soccer happen every once in a while."

Falco nodded slowly, secretly wondering what else the vice-commander could do.

"Ace is the pitcher on the team," said Amare, pointing at her superior with her foam finger. "Thatch is right field and Marco is the catcher!"

 _Even their roles suit their personalities._ Falco thought, smirking.

Everyone dispersed into their positions as the first batter came up to the plate. Ace stood on the mound calmly and brought his glove and ball together, before hitching a leg up and throwing his entire body forwards, letting the ball fly loose.

"STRIKE!" The umpire called behind Marco.

"He did it!" Amare smiled, pumping a fist to the air. "Damn, that was fast!"

Indeed, the batter looked more petrified than anything. Falco didn't blame him—it would probably hurt a lot if the ball hit his body.

Marco was also proving to be a reliable catcher, not letting a single ball fly past him. The other pirates on the field crouched low and waited patiently.

"STRIKEOUT!"

"Wohoo!" cried Florence, shaking her foamy finger. "Good job, Ace! Two more to go!"

"It's kind of weird how we're not batting first," said Amare. "Since we're technically the visitors."

"Nah, I think they just did a coin toss," Florence shook her head. "It's boring to always have to bat first so I think they changed the rules."

Falco had no idea what they were talking about as this was her first time watching baseball, but even she could tell that Ace was good. His pitches were fast and powerful, and every one of them was caught easily by Marco.

"Strike three!" The umpire yelled. "Switch!"

"Since Ace managed to strikeout all three batters—" Amare explained to Falco. "—We can now switch with the other team and have a chance to bat!"

The first up to bat was Marco, then followed by Thatch, Vista, and Ace. The former three commanders had gotten clean hits and all three of them were occupying a base. Ace stepped up to the plate next, popping a gum in his mouth.

Falco smiled gently at Ace's back which said 'PORTGAS' and below it, the number '2'. She had to admit, he suited the baseball uniform extremely well. The black jersey and white pants contrasted sharply from his slightly tanned face, and his red shoes and red bat were reflective of his fiery personality.

"FUKUTAICHOU!" Amare cried, jumping up and down. "SHOW THEM THAT YOU MEAN THE FUK-U IN FUKUTAICHOU! WOHOO!"

Every person in the vicinity of the excited child turned around and stared at her. Florence lowered her head next to the girl, turning bright red in embarrassment.

"Marco," the nurse seethed. "I'm going to kill him later for teaching Amare these things."

Falco smiled, finding Amare's antics rather playful. She didn't care much about speaking formally herself—in fact, Amare's constant attempts to swear and the crew's constant attempts to stop her was amusing in her opinion.

"Batter up!"

The girl observed Ace lean slightly on his back foot and noted his bat moving slowly. His dark eyes observed every move of his opponent carefully, and when the ball flew out of the pitcher's hands…

 _CRACK!_

"My goodness!" Florence cried, standing up. The ball flew over the entire field and into the back stands, where the crowd scrambled to catch it. Marco, Thatch, and Vista quickly ran around the bases and into the dugout, while Ace did a leisurely stroll, waving slightly as the crowd chanted his name.

"ACE! ACE! ACE! ACE!"

When he jumped onto home base, everyone's screams became louder, echoing throughout the entire stadium. Falco felt dizzy from the commotion but congratulated Ace in her mind.

 _He really is good at everything…_ she thought with awe. _First basketball, and now this? His control over the Mera Mera no Mi was incredible too…_

She gazed at the vice-commander wistfully, wondering what flaws he was hiding from her.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VII: Unhappy Premonitions Are Never Wrong**

* * *

"I was seriously shocked!" Marco chuckled. "Thought our baby would've lost his touch by now, since we haven't played baseball in a while—but those pitches were perfect!"

" _I'M NOT A—"_

"Baby's growing up," interrupted Thatch, wiping away non-existent tears. "And soon we'll be old and wrinkly too."

"You guys are already old and wrinkly," Amare pointed out, holding Falco's hand tightly. "And you guys sound like a married couple."

"Commander," Florence seethed, pointing a finger angrily at Marco. "She learned it from you, didn't she? Amare literally screamed out 'FUK-U IN FUKUTAICHOU' in the middle of the game!"

Thatch and Marco doubled over with laughter, wiping tears away from their eyes as Florence looked like she was about to murder the two men.

"Doesn't matter though, we won!" Ace said happily, gold medal dangling from his neck.

"Ace, you know it matters—I don't want our sweet thing to speak like these uncultured swines!"

"Ooh, ouch!" cried Thatch, grinning widely. "I am _so_ hurt that our nurse called us uncultured swines! How can we leave our health to this monstrous woman if she looks like she wants to kill us in our sleep? Marco, do something!"

The first division's commander grinned lazily at his friends. "You're absolutely right. Florence, I'm relieving you of your duties today."

"Oh shut up you pineapple," the nurse snapped. "You wouldn't be alive if I weren't here."

Marco cast his head down at the nickname while the rest of the group laughed boisterously. They stopped in front of a wooden building that said 'The Old Tavern' in faded green paint. Many people were already inside, drinking and laughing away, even though it was only late afternoon.

"All that exercise has gotten me beat," groaned Marco, massaging his shoulders. "I need to grab a beer. You guys coming?"

Florence and Thatch stepped into the tavern but Amare shook her head, backing away from the door. "No, I wanna explore some more! We didn't get a chance to go to the fair yesterday."

"The fair?" Marco asked. "Oh, you mean the night market."

Falco glanced at the commander. "I'll watch over her. You guys can go ahead and drink."

"Same here," Ace chimed in. "I'll celebrate later or something—I wanted to explore a little bit as well."

"Alright," Marco nodded. "Don't be too late."

As soon as the commander entered the noisy bar, Amare ran up to the two excitedly and held their hands.

"It's just you guys and me now, huh?" she smiled cheekily. "Well that's okay! I'll be the nice person I am and play with you guys."

Falco and Ace looked at each other and smirked as the child led them away.

The so-called 'market' did actually look more like a fair—there were food and merchandise stands everywhere, as well as several carnival games. Villagers, young and old, shuffled around the busy streets, maneuvering carefully around the various stands. There was even a small ferris wheel at the far end of the road, where children sat excitedly with their parents.

"Oh man, I'm so hungry!" Amare frowned. "Can we get something to eat, Ace? _Please_?"

"There's food at the bar," he frowned. "We can eat and come back."

"No!" She pouted. "I want street vendor food! Oh look! Takoyaki! Hey, let's see how much it costs…"

Ace sighed as he pulled out his wallet. "Kids these days…"

"Why hello there!" The vendor smiled. "What a lovely young lady! Who are you here with today? Your family?"

Amare's emerald eyes sparkled, looking giddy at the man's observation. "Yep! How did you know?"

"I'll bet!" He smiled, as he pried the money out of Ace's hands. "Tell you what—I'll give you an extra takoyaki to share with them, okay?"

Amare squealed happily as the man topped the food with one extra ball, drizzling it with sauce and fish flakes. "Thanks, old man! Hope you sell a lot!"

"Bye now!" He chuckled, turning to attend another customer.

Ace quickly leaned close to Falco as the two quietly followed the young girl, who was munching on the scrumptious treat.

"Do we look old enough to have kids?" he muttered. "I mean, I've been called a baby before but I didn't think I looked old enough to be a dad…"

Falco frowned. "Maybe he thought we were siblings. I don't think I look older than seventeen."

 _Amare seems to really dote on the idea of a family though._ The girl thought, staring at her back quietly. _I guess I'm not surprised. I'm the same way too._

"Hm?" Amare suddenly stopped, looking towards her left. "Hey, look! A puppet show!"

Indeed, there was a small crowd around a brightly-lit puppet set. A man in a light green suit peered over it, expertly maneuvering two individual puppets.

"I wanna watch!" She said, running towards the crowd. "I've never been to a puppet show before!"

 _Neither have I._ Falco thought, smiling slightly as the story began to start.

"Once upon a time," the old man said, as a small figure took centre stage. "There was the tragic tale of a beggar who had nothing. He had no wealth to speak of, no future to foresee, and no one to love."

"Tragedy," Ace scoffed. "At a puppet show?"

"This beggar dreamed of happiness," the puppeteer continued. "All he wanted was to see his head wife once more. And so he prayed and prayed—but he knew that there was no god in this world. He was all alone, with no one to listen to his cries. But one day, someone answered him."

 _"You have taken everything from me!"_

"The beggar was furious. He did not want to live, but he also did not want to do to go to a heaven where such a cruel god existed. The god, taking pity, gave him an option."

 _"I will grant one wish. But you must make a deal with me."_

 _"Okay."_

"The god was surprised at the man's quick agreement."

 _"You will not ask me what the condition is?"_

 _"It doesn't matter."_

The crowd murmured quietly. What could a god want from a mere beggar?

"And so the god kept his wish. The beggar's wife came back to life and he lived happily for a few years, even giving birth to a beautiful daughter."

The scene shifted so that the infant had grown into a young girl.

"Their lives seemed so blissful and perfect, until their child had suddenly disappeared and was found dead a few days later. Then, his wife had also vanished for a few days and killed herself."

Ace shifted uncomfortably next to Falco. "Not the most age-appropriate show."

"The beggar didn't understand. And so after he died a few years later, he demanded to see the god once more."

 _"Why me? Why is it always me? Why do you always give me what I love and then take them away?"_

"But the god was cruel, and he offered no words of apology."

 _"I was not the one who killed them. It was you—with your greed, trying to cheat death without even so much wondering about the price you had to pay..."_

"Definitely not age appropriate," Falco muttered. "Amare, let's go."

But the young girl wouldn't budge, too entranced by the performance.

"The deal that the god had made was that in exchange for bringing his wife back to life, the beggar would never be able to reunite with her in heaven. He would continuously get reincarnated until the ends of time, trapped in sorrow and anger, forever alone."

The puppeteer held out a single black rose. "And much like this flower, the people who look at him see that he is not of the mortal world. Yet they cannot tell if he is real or if he is fake. No one dares to approach whatever reincarnation he is, and he will tread alone until the ends of time.

The audience was silent, everyone looking shocked.

"That's it?" Someone cried. "He just keeps suffering?"

The puppeteer shrugged. "Guess so."

The crowd began to throw questions at him, but the puppeteer would have none of it. He quickly packed up his materials and sprinted away before anyone tried to catch him, leaving the crowd baffled and confused.

As the people dissipated, Falco could hear the grumblings of the audience.

"That was the most depressing play ever…"

"What the hell? That's a bullshit ending!"

"I didn't think puppet shows would need a content rating."

"That story was messed up…"

Falco silently agreed. It wasn't the bright and happy puppet show that they had been expecting.

"Amare, let's go," she said absentmindedly, reaching down for the young girl's hand. When she looked down, however, Amare's last takoyaki was spilt on the floor, and tears were streaming down her emerald eyes.

"Amare!" Ace cried, feeling alarmed. "Amare, what's wrong?"

The girl continued to sniffle, trying to wipe her tears away. Falco crouched down in concern, eyebrows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Falco asked again. "Was the show too sad for you?"

The girl hiccuped as she nodded. "Y-yeah… sorry, it just reminded me of something."

Falco pursed her lips. She remembered the others telling her that Amare's past was incredibly hidden, and that whatever she had gone through probably wasn't easy. The only thing that this crew knew about her was that she was abandoned and alone, barely fighting off death on a small island.

"Maybe the death of the mother and child triggered some sort of a memory," Falco quietly said to Ace. "Marco told me she was all alone when you guys found her."

Ace nodded. "Amare, look at me. I know you don't want to tell us about your past—and I understand that. But I want you to know that we're here—you're not alone anymore. You can trust us."

"I just—" she hiccuped, sniffling and wiping away her tears. "Do you think he's right? That we're being punished for wanting to be happy? Is that why everyone I ever love always ends up leaving me?"

Falco bit her lower lip, guilt etched on her face. _How will I ever be able to leave her when the time comes?_

The vice-commander crouched down and gave her a warm yet sad smile. "No one should be punished for wanting to be happy. I think the puppet man misinterpreted the story."

He wiped away Amare's tears. "What is life without having your loved ones around you? It's not the beggar who was wrong, it was the god. You may have lost a lot in your past, but we're here now. And we'll continue to live our days happily. No god can take that away from us."

"He's right," Falco said, crouching next to Ace. "The Whitebeard Pirates will always be your family. Nothing can ever change that"

Amare sniffled, a sad frown still on her mouth. "Thanks guys."

The swordsman stepped forwards and quickly wiped Amare's snot and tears away with her sleeve.

"No more crying for you," she said gently. "It breaks my heart to see you sad."

Amare suddenly began to cough, wheezing to the point where Falco felt alarmed.

"I think you've cried too much," Ace said, patting her back gently. "Come on, let's go back to the tavern."

Amare gripped Ace and Falco's hands tightly, looking up at their worried expressions.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you about my past," she whispered. "And I'm sorry I keep asking you to understand. But it's for the best. I hope you know that I do want to explain everything."

"I do," said Ace immediately. "Trust me, I do. But it's okay—we won't get mad for you wanting to be private."

"Me too," Falco nodded.

Amare smiled gently and briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the bright girl had returned, and she gave the two pirates a cheeky grin.

"Race you guys back!" She shouted. "Loser has to buy drinks for everyone."

"Hey wait a minute," Ace went. "You can't drink—"

"Or are you a _baby_ who's going to lose to me?"

"That's it, you're so dead."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VII: Unhappy Premonitions Are Never Wrong**

* * *

"Hey, Ace!" Someone from the crew cried, once the three returned to the tavern. "Great pitches and hits today! Making the Whitebeard Pirates look good!"

"Yeah, you nailed it," a different member agreed. "Though I have to admit I was surprised to see Marco trip over first base…"

"Shut up!" The commander seethed, as he entered the noisy hall with a beer. "At least I wasn't the one who nailed the catcher, sliding into home."

Reagan stood up immediately, face flushed. "That was by accident! I was running too fast!"

Falco smiled as she watched the bickering unfold before her. Ace was sitting next to her with a beer and Amare was across from him with a cup of orange juice.

Whitebeard stomped his _bisento_ to the ground in the far corner of the bar. "It doesn't matter now, does it? Since the MVP is here, we should raise our glasses high, my children!"

The three who had just entered quickly shuffled into the remaining vacant seats. Whitebeard raised his massive sake glass in the air and cried: "To the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"To the Whitebeard Pirates!" Everyone repeated. Glass mugs bumped into each other and music and laughter filled the open air, creating an open and happy vibe.

"Cheers," Ace said, holding his beer before him. Falco shyly held up her own and tapped her glass with his, smiling slightly.

"Cheers."

"Aw, Marco! I want some beer too!" Amare cried, jumping up and down. Florence gave Marco an 'I-will-murder-you-in-your-sleep' look, and the commander known for his power immediately paled under the nurse's watchful eyes.

"I... uh..." he stammered. "Here, I'll get you something that looks like beer."

Amare took Marco's hand as the two walked to the bartender, the little girl muttering: "If you get me carbonated barely water like you did last time, I swear to god I'll ram it down your throat _with_ the glass…"

Thatch chuckled heartily at the two crewmates before standing up with Florence. "I think Vista wanted to talk to you about training some of the other nurses for the other ships."

Florence nodded and grabbed her drink. "Yeah, we should talk to Oyaji about recruiting some more physicians—your division doesn't even have a nurse."

When the two walked away from their table, Ace and Falco looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.

"Looks like everyone's busy even when we're on break," the vice-commander chuckled. "So, did you enjoy the baseball game today?"

Falco nodded shyly, looking down at the dark wooden tables. "Yeah, you were really good."

"Guessing you didn't play much baseball on Root Island, huh?"

 _Root Island…_ she hadn't thought about her old home in a while. "Yeah."

Ace cracked open some peanuts and popped them into his mouth, nodding thoughtfully. "So how did you spend your time alone for the past ten years? Must've been terribly boring."

Boring, but safe. She had to protect her life first if she were to defeat Mihawk one day.

"I trained a lot," she said quietly. "Root Island is fairly large but all of the markets and residences were near the shoreline—the centre of the island is mostly occupied by a forest. I hiked a lot."

"Can't imagine life without the sea," Ace admitted. "Forests are nice, but adventures on sea is what I love."

Falco remained silent, reminiscing her quiet and lonely past. What _had_ she done in the last ten years? She'd mostly trained—but that proved to be futile when Mihawk destroyed her during their last battle. How had she spent her leisure time? It was mostly hikes to the central mountain, or observing other people at the market… but she hadn't done a lot of things that were inherently interesting.

"Stars," she said suddenly.

"Hm?"

"I stargazed," the girl repeated quietly. "It felt like… like someone was watching over me."

Ace smiled gently. "I think I get what you mean. I know we've gone to sleep fairly early since you've come here, but we should go out on deck and stargaze sometime. Cities have a lot of light pollution so you can't see them as clearly as you would when you're sailing."

"Really?" Asked Falco. "Thanks for letting me know."

Just as the vice-commander was about to ask another question, the door to the tavern suddenly slammed open, making everyone to look towards the entrance.

A man walked in, wearing drab clothes and a black beret, glaring at the pirates in disgust.

"Che," he muttered. "Worthless fools."

Falco raised an eyebrow, taken aback. Who was this person?

"How may I help you?" The bartender asked, wiping a glass cup as the customer sat down next to the counter.

"Anything that can get me drunk immediately," the man said. "Drunk enough so that I don't have to listen to these men."

Falco inched slightly closer to Ace, who was chugging his beer down without another thought. "Ace, that man is scary."

He put the mug down and wiped his mouth, smiling slightly at Falco. "Pirates aren't welcomed everywhere—you just have to ignore it."

 _I guess so…_ Falco thought, but she felt apprehensive. The Whitebeard Pirates were incredibly kind and welcoming—she didn't know why anyone would hate them.

"Idiots," he muttered, shaking his head. "The age of One Piece? Bah! Fools for wasting their lives to look for a treasure that doesn't exist!"

Falco had never considered it before, but she realized that no matter how big and powerful this crew was, their final goal was the same as any other pirates'—to find One Piece. She had been so sidetracked with her own problems that she had forgotten what the initial goal of this era was.

 _Does One Piece exist?_ She asked herself, staring at her beer. _Maybe he's right._

"It exists," Ace said quietly so that only she could hear. Falco whipped her head to the vice-commander who was nonchalantly eating peanuts.

"Pardon?"

"It exists," he said again, eyes twinkling. "One Piece."

"Oh," she said, feeling confused. How could he be so sure?

The man was downing several shots, face turning pink from the alcohol. "Whitebeard…" he slurred. "Ridiculous. Wasting his time… creating havoc…"

Falco rested her face on a hand, feeling annoyed. _Better learn to ignore it like Ace told me to._

"You!" he suddenly thundered, pointing accusingly at Whitebeard. "Your era… your dreams… are over! One Piece doesn't exist… so fuck off out of here and take your stupid crew home!"

The girl sat up, feeling hurt. _Oh man. I doubt that Oyaji would get angry from mere insults but he's lucky that our captain is so forgiving._

"I wish he was drinking somewhere else," Falco muttered under her breath. "Why come to the bar we're staying at, of all places—Ace?"

The man had stood up, dark locks covering his eyes. He gripped the glass mug tightly in his hands and then crushed it, glass flying everywhere.

"Ace?" Falco repeated quietly.

"Huh?" the drunk man went, turning to Ace. "Oi, oi. If it isn't the infamous Portgas D. Ace—let me warn you right now buddy, your captain is useless—he's getting old and soon the seas will be overtaken by stronger pirates. I suggest you leave and try to live a better life while you still— _OI_!"

Falco fell unceremoniously to the floor as Ace suddenly flipped their table, shattering the glass mugs. The shards of glass cut through her hands, causing her to wince in pain. When she looked to the side, the man's generally friendly and warm orbs were clouded with so much hatred, Falco couldn't recognize him for a moment.

"What did you say?" He snarled. "What did you call my father?"

"Huh?" The old man grumbled, clearly not retreating. "I called him old and useless! You got a problem with that? Pirate trash—"

Ace swiped a crewmate's mug from a different table and threw it at the man as hard as he could. Though it was dodged, the shattered glass behind him left a small gash on his cheek.

The vice-commander swiftly walked over to the old man, not bothering to help Falco who was still on the floor.

"You better watch your mouth," Ace snarled. "You're surrounded by the Whitebeard Pirates, the strongest crew in the world—"

"Strongest?" He interrupted, scoffing as if the mere thought was absurd. "Your captain isn't immortal, fool. Soon, he'll die and everyone will forget his name."

Ace reached down and picked up a broken piece of glass. He then grabbed the man's collar with so much force that he was barely standing by the ends of his toes. Falco felt petrified—this was _not_ Ace,the kindhearted man that she knew.

"Ace," Marco said, stepping forward. "That's enough, you've made a mess—"

"STAY BACK!" He snarled with such ferocity that Falco was now convinced something had taken over him. "No one, _no one_ talks about my family, my captain this way and gets away with it!"

Falco felt herself shaking. If she had said something wrong in front of Ace, would he threaten to hurt her too? She had practically entrusted her life to this man and believed that all of his smiles and kind words were genuine. The violent man before her was a stranger—he wasn't someone that she knew.

 _Don't ever say that someone doesn't deserve to live because of their lineage!_

 _So don't fight alone anymore._

 _It's okay. Your dream isn't over yet._

 _I'm sorry too. You got hurt._

"Do it," the old man wheezed, as Ace grabbed him tightly by the collar. "Beat the living shit out of me. I know it's in your filthy pirate blood."

Ace raised a fist, getting ready to strike.

Something inside of Falco made her feel so desperate to keep that mirage of Ace. This wasn't right, this wasn't Ace at all. She didn't recognize this hateful person before her. The Ace that she was familiar with was kind and gentle, unlike this brash and violent man.

The girl dropped her swords and leapt in front of Ace.

"Wait, Falco!" Thatch's voice called out. Even Whitebeard stood up in concern.

"FALCO!" Amare screamed, hand outstretched.

Just as Ace's fist began to fly forwards, Falco stopped him by grabbing his hand. She felt the glass shard pierce her skin, followed by warm blood dripping down her arms and hitting the wooden floor below them. Ace paid her no attention, still looking at the old man with fury.

"Let me go!" the vice-commander snarled, trying to shake her away. "Or I won't be responsible for what happens to you!"

The warm and sticky blood from her hand continued to drip down onto the wooden floorboards quietly, as everyone watched the two with worry. The fresh wound ached painfully, but she felt too petrified to move.

"Ace," Marco gently said, putting a hand on the vice-commander's shoulder. "That's enough."

The fury in his eyes gradually disappeared until his regular silver orbs returned. He was still panting softly from the anger and looked at Marco, who stared back at him with a disappointed look on his face.

The vice-commander turned his attention to the girl, feeling breathless. "Falco, are you—"

When Ace looked at her, a tear trickled down from her golden eyes, mixing into the pool of blood on the ground.

"No more," she whispered, voice cracking. "Please, no more…"

The old man sensed that he was safe from immediate danger and pried himself out of Ace's grip, who wasn't even paying attention anymore.

"Che," he muttered quietly, tossing the bartender a few bills before leaving the bar. "What a waste of my time."

Ace stared at Falco quietly, who was slightly flushed from the tears. Her lower lip trembled, but he could see that she was forcing herself from outright sobbing.

How could he have made her cry again?

"Falco," he said, grabbing her injured hands. "Falco, I'm so sorry—"

She didn't say anything as she lowered her head and sniffled, hands and shoulders still shaking with fear.

"I entrusted my life to you," she sobbed quietly. "You can't be like this."

"I know," he said immediately. "I'm sorry."

Falco continued to sniffle as Ace slowly wiped her hands with a handkerchief, feeling guilty as he wiped away the crimson blood.

Thatch walked over to the two and handed Ace a small first-aid box.

"Go upstairs," he ordered them. "There's a vacant room. Falco, get bandaged. Ace, go cool down for a little bit."

"Where's Flor—"

"Now."

Falco wiped her tears away and looked up at her commander with surprise. Thatch was the most laid-back out of all of them, but he was using such an authoritative voice, she was worried that Ace was in trouble.

"I'm fine," she quickly said, not wanting to ruin Ace's chances of becoming a commander. "None of the cuts are very deep."

"Do as you're told," Marco said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You've had a long day too. We'll be staying on land for the night so you guys can take the private room upstairs."

Ace wordlessly took the first-aid kit from Thatch's hands and excused himself to the living quarters above, where Falco could hear the small click of a door opening and closing.

She immediately turned to her superiors.

"What was that?" Falco whispered, staring at the destruction around her. "Who was… that wasn't—"

"Ace," Thatch interrupted. "That's how he's like."

 _It can't be._ She thought desperately. "No. That's not the Ace that I know."

"He's not a bad person at heart," Marco explained gently. "But he does have a temper when it comes to other people insulting Oyaji. All of us are, but I guess it's particularly bad for Ace."

The girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maybe they didn't know what Ace was truly like—in the short time that she had known him for, the man was a kind and gentle friend. How his silver orbs sparkled every time Amare pulled one of her antics, how soft his gaze was when she needed comfort…

But then the _fury_ in his eyes that threatened to hurt her if she didn't get out of his way…

"Have… any of you guys talked to him about this?" Falco asked quietly, still visibly shaking.

"Multiple times," Thatch shrugged. "We've told him that it's unnecessary—as a crew of 1600 people, we're more than capable of taking people down on our own. He doesn't need to go after them."

Marco sighed. "The kid just doesn't listen. I know he feels like he owes Oyaji a lot, but it's really okay—some people just hate pirates for no reason, and as a front-runner for One Piece, it's normal for more well-known pirates like us to carry the blames and burdens for the chaos of this era."

Thatch glanced down at his hands. "Maybe he won't listen to us because we're also bad at holding our temper. But maybe you can change him—go upstairs and let Ace bandage you up, and let him know how you feel. I think he'll listen to you."

After looking at Falco's worried expression, Thatch gave her a small smile.

"He won't hurt you. You _know_ he won't ever hurt you," said Thatch, even as he eyed her injured hands. "He can be blinded by rage, but there's nothing to be mad at when it's just you two alone."

"Although I doubt it, come to us if anything happens," Marco nodded. "Otherwise, I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VII: Unhappy Premonitions Are Never Wrong**

* * *

 _Knock knock._

"Come in."

Falco slowly opened the wooden door that led to a spacious room. It was furnished with one large bed, a stand with a small lamp, white drawers, a mirror, and a table with two chairs. Ace was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling above. She could see that his hands too, were still bleeding.

She didn't know what to say so she quietly entered the room, hands nervously closed to a fist.

Ace sat up immediately, noticing that it was the girl—not Thatch or Marco.

"You're injured," he said softly. Falco shook her head.

"No, I'm not," she lied. "I'm fine."

He swiftly stood up and reached out to tend to her injured hands. When she flinched at his raised arm though, the man immediately dropped them.

"I'm sorry," Falco said, feeling extremely guilty all of a sudden. "I-I don't—"

"No," Ace shook his head quickly. "No, you have every right to be scared. I apologize—that wasn't appropriate of me."

This time, he put his hand out before him. "Do you mind if I looked at your injury?"

Falco nodded slowly and put her hand on top of his, which she noted were still as warm as ever.

"Shouldn't you tend to yourself first?" She asked quietly. But Ace didn't answer as he pulled her down to the bed and sat comfortably, opening the first-aid kit.

"Don't stop me next time," Ace said quietly as he observed Falco's hands. "Your injury could've been much worse."

The girl shook her head. "Thatch said you'd never hurt me. And I trust you too."

Ace looked up to meet Falco's golden eyes. "You're hurt."

"You'd never injure me on purpose," Falco clarified. "I know you wouldn't."

The man gently wiped Falco's hands, guilt etched on his face. "It makes me mad. When people talk like that about my family. Oyaji's done a lot for me, and I don't want to hear bad things about him from people who don't know what kind of person he is."

"I know. We all feel the same way," Falco said gently. "But you can't… you can't use violence like that. Your strength is to help others and protect the family."

Ace wordlessly finished bandaging a hand. "I'm sorry. I know how important it is for swordsmen to keep their hands safe."

"If I can't protect you and the rest of the crew, then it wouldn't matter anyways," she smiled, taking his hands this time. "This is nothing—I'll be alright. I just…"

She looked up and met his silver eyes. "The Ace I know is kind and caring. What happened there wasn't you at all."

"Maybe this is me," Ace snapped. "And maybe the Ace you know is actually full of flaws and has a hard time dealing with everyday things."

Falco fell silent, looking stunned. "T-that's not what I—"

Ace's silver orbs looked clouded and distant for a moment. While Falco wasn't scared of his gaze, she still felt weary. She knew that Ace wasn't perfect, but she was curious as to what sort of flaws he really had.

The vice-commander sighed and resumed treating her. "I'm sorry. I'm just mad that you had to see this side of me."

"What's the difference if I see it?" Falco asked.

Ace raised an eyebrow and paused momentarily. "I guess… when you meet someone for the first time, you want them to see the best sides of you. You can be anyone you want to be in front of someone new. I guess I'm trying to show a more idealized version of myself. Tell me, what kind of a person do you think I am?"

Falco looked upwards, trying to recall her first days with him. "I think you're kindhearted and empathetic. You treat the crew like your blood relatives. At the same time, you're strict with yourself and I can tell that you don't like mistakes. You're strong, but you're also a good tactician. You know how to lead people not by force, but by being genuine and winning people over. But despite a somewhat strict exterior, you're reflective of your Devil Fruit. You're warm and bright… and you guide people with your fire."

Ace remained silent, looking stunned. "I think that's the most you've said since you've joined this crew."

"Really?" She asked. "I guess I just feel more comfortable talking to you."

"Still," he smiled. "Thanks, Falco. Feels nice to know that's how you think about me."

"Your turn," the girl said. "What kind of a person do you think I am?"

Ace finished wrapping up her hands. As he closed the first-aid kit, his eyes turned slightly nostalgic and far, as if he were remembering something nice.

"Let's see…" he said quietly. "I think you're brash and reckless—"

"Excuse me?"

"But that's because you're a genuine person. You have your own sense of justice and you're also incredibly hard working. You may be shy now, but I think that's just because you haven't talked to real friends in a long time. I think it's admirable, how hard you're trying to break out of your shell. But I think your greatest strength is that you accept people simply for who they are. You're impartial, and while I'm afraid that your impartiality will lead you to get hurt, I think it's also why so many people accepted and trusted you so quickly."

Falco frowned. "So I'm a brash and reckless fool who trusts too easily and I'll get screwed over for it later? Damn, this game isn't very fun anymore."

Ace laughed boisterously as he patted her head. "I think they're all admirable traits. Maybe I'm just using the wrong words but Amare, Marco, Thatch, and I aren't really people who trust easily. But we all trust you."

"Really?" she asked. "I can tell you guys like me, but I don't know about 'trust'…"

"I think we all need to learn how to open up a bit more," Ace admitted. "But that's a personal flaw. It's not because of you."

Falco nodded slowly, but still felt slightly unconvinced. "Do you think you'll ever open up to me?"

Ace paused for a moment.

"Well," he started carefully. "That's hard to say. But I have flaws and secrets that I keep from everyone, not just you. I wish I could just say them out loud, but…"

He smiled sheepishly at her. "I guess I'm scared. Because I know that people will judge me."

"You just said that my greatest strength is my impartiality…"

"I know," he quickly said. "I just… maybe someday. But not now."

Falco watched him quietly as he turned off the lights and lit a candle. She could still hear the loud cheers of her crewmates below, but she also heard the soft chirps of the cicadas outside.

 _I want to know_. She thought. _I want to know everything._

"I apologize," Ace said softly. "I should be protecting you, not hurting you."

 _All of your flaws. Your fears. Your secrets._

"I won't hurt you anymore," he said sternly. "I promise."

 _I want to know who you really are._

"I think Amare's going to sleep with Florence today—you can take the pillow, and I'll sleep the opposite way from the bed frame. Good night, Falco."

The girl silently watched the vice-commander slip into the covers. The bed was spacious, but she could still feel his warmth from a distance away. She then turned to eye the candle he had just lit, until it flickered and disappeared.

 _I wonder why…_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Once again, if you are new here, thanks for stopping by. The next chapter is personally one of my favourites, so I hope you'll be around to read it.**

 **There are a few important things to note. I had to scrap the first draft of the puppet scene because several amazing things happened in the One Piece world. For some reason, there have been four or five instances of Oda having the same idea as me. Artificial devil fruits, Amber Lead Syndrome, and the Modo Modo no Mi were all ideas I had as a kid. As ridiculous as it sounds, I had a double take every time I saw one of my ideas in the One Piece world. But this forced me to change my own stories several times as duplicates don't work (for example, two characters cannot have the same Devil Fruit ability).**

 **The original puppet show had something similar to the effects of the Amber Lead Syndrome (though mine wasn't about lead at all). But because Oda used it for Law's backstory, I didn't want to use it for mine, so I completely scrapped it.**

* * *

 **A few people have PM'ed me several questions, so I thought I could answer some here.**

 **Q. What are the quotes at the top of the chapters for?  
A. It'll be revealed near the halfway point of the story. All I can suggest for now is to compile the quotes from each chapter and see if you can come up with a theory!**

 **Q. What do the names of your OC's mean? (The question asked about Falco but I thought I could explain the others).  
A. The names of minor OC's (Mir/Talis/Reagan/etc.) don't really have meanings. Florence is based from real-life nurse, Florence Nightingale. Amare means 'love' in Latin.  
Falco, surprisingly, doesn't come from the word 'falcon'. It's actually the opening of my favourite anime series in the entire world, _The Law of Ueki_ (sung by Shimatani Hitomi). I started writing Romance Dawn in 2011 when I re-watched The Law of Ueki for the first time since my childhood, and I guess I just wanted to give tribute to my favourite series. I never bothered to change it even when I realized that she had nothing to do with a falcon anymore.  
Fun fact: ****Falco was supposed to have some OP, Mary-Sue like Devil Fruit that let her turn into various different forms. Her standard form was a falcon and her alternate forms were supposed to be phoenix/dragon/griffin/pegasus/etc... (like I said, a Mary-Sue Devil Fruit).  
Second fun fact: her other name was supposed to be 'Vivian'.**

 **Q. What happened to Falco's mother?  
A. The problem with this question isn't that it's a spoiler, but that I honestly don't know where to reveal it. I was thinking of putting it in chapters 11-13, but then I thought it might be better to put it near the end. I'm still thinking about it!**

 **As always, please leave a review!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Special thanks to (I screwed my list up so I'll just mention everyone again):  
** **Guest666-69  
Hipergirl  
AJ Phantomhive (you've actually reviewed one of my old Romance Dawn fanfics when I was in high school! Thanks for checking this one out too)  
InsidetheHood  
condoriano3232  
Fahdza  
Leoki  
littleclipp  
Rikkixoxo  
Hhbdbd  
mindmybiz**


	8. Until Death Do Us Part

**This has been my favourite chapter to both write and read. Whenever I'm drafting a story, I always wonder what will be fun to read, and I think this chapter encompasses a lot of what I've wanted to portray in Ace and Falco. Sometimes, writing a certain chapter can be extremely difficult, whether it's because there is sensitive content or because you want to portray every line perfectly. Personally, I think there is a lot of bittersweetness as well as happiness inside of weddings as you vow to be with someone for the rest of your life.**

 **The more I continue to write Romance Dawn, the more inevitable Thatch and Ace's deaths will be—but memories like the ones they'll make in this chapter will help Falco go on without their guidance.**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Until Death Do Us Part**

* * *

 _Nothing lasts forever_

 _So dance while you still can_

* * *

"Falco, did you wash my socks?" asked Ace, frantically looking around while brushing his teeth. The girl paid no attention to the vice-commander, her only focus on Amare's new dress.

"I know you want to run around and have fun once we dock but you _cannot_ get yourself dirty before the ceremony ends, okay?" asked Falco, looking sternly at the young child.

Amare nodded and gave her a grin. "You bet!"

"Ace, Falco, Amare!" Marco's voice yelled behind their door. "We're spotted Asagao Island and we're arriving in around thirty minutes—hurry up!"

"Coming!" Falco cried, looking for her own clothes. "I swear I bought something more formal than this…"

"Falco, where are my black socks?"

The girl pointed absentmindedly to the closet. "No, I'm sure I bought several dresses that time…"

"They're not here," Ace frowned. "I can't go to a wedding barefoot!"

Falco sighed and looked heavenwards, all movement stopping.

"Ace," she said after pausing for a moment. "Your socks are probably with Thatch—I gave him your dirty clothes yesterday while he was doing laundry. Amare, do you know where my dresses went?"

Ace immediately went to go search for the commander while the child made her way into the wardrobe, scooting in to the very end and pulling out two dresses.

"You put them here so they wouldn't get wrinkled," she smiled, holding out a lavender and a baby-blue dress. "Which one are you going to wear?

Falco smiled. "Which one do you want me to wear?"

"Hmm," she thought for a moment, comparing the two dresses. "I like the lavender one better."

"Then I'll wear that," the girl smiled, taking the long dress in her arms. As she entered the bathroom to change, Ace stumbled into the room, pointing excitedly at his now-covered feet.

"Found 'em!" He cried triumphantly.

Amare stuck out a thumb. "Omega good job!"

Falco opened the bathroom door, now in a flowing, strapless light-purple dress. Her hair was tied neatly in a braided chignon, and she wore white sandals that laced around her ankles.

"Whoa," said Amare. "You look great!"

Falco smirked, walking over to the bed and patting it. "Come here, let me braid your hair."

"Oh, I can do that too!" Ace exclaimed, sitting next to Falco. Amare sat in between as Falco parted her black locks, with Ace braiding one side and Falco the other.

Once Ace finished his side, Falco took both braids and tied them intricately into a pretty bun. She handed Amare a mirror.

"How do you like it?"

"Damn," Amare smiled. "I'm hot as fu—"

"GREAT!" Ace suddenly cut in. "I'm glad you like it."

The three stared at each other for a moment before busting out into laughter. Falco found it amusing how everyone on board tried so hard to prevent Amare from swearing, even when they did so themselves.

Marco knocked before opening the door. Letting out a whistle he said, "Wow, don't you three look nice."

He paused briefly for a moment. "Almost like a family."

"Thanks, Marco," Amare gave him a small smile. "That's just what I wanted."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VIII: Until Death Do Us Part**

* * *

Asagao Island, Falco noted, showcased acres and acres of flowers—especially Morning Glories. It was a popular place to host a wedding as an everlasting spring island.

The white building was grand and was more of an auditorium than a chapel. Several other ships had docked around the island which meant that the Whitebeard Pirates were not the only people in attendance.

"Oh boy!" Amare said excitedly. "I haven't seen Malkin in months!"

"Yeah, I wonder how he's doing," Ace smiled, picking Amare up and holding her in his arms. "It's probably going to be our last day seeing our commander so say your goodbyes."

She nodded. "And hopefully you'll be our next commander!"

"Hopefully," he repeated.

"You guys! Stop chattering and come over here!" yelled Thatch, standing next to Marco and a tall, handsome man who was wearing a black tuxedo.

As the three went up to the commanders, Falco heard bits of their conversation.

"So we've sent Jozu out to find the platoon, but it looks like he's having a hard time locating them," Marco explained.

"He really wanted to come and say his congratulations but these are lives on the line," Thatch continued.

The third man shook his head. "No, I completely understand. And I'm not dead after today, I can meet up with him someday in the future!" he chuckled.

Ace placed Amare down before extending a hand. The man—Malkin, shook it briefly before hugging Ace.

"Congratulations, Malkin," whispered Ace. "I'm so happy for you."

The two pulled back as the former commander smirked. "Well, I consider myself very lucky that the love of my life decided to put up with me."

"We're going to miss you on board," said Amare, looking sad. "Thanks for leading us—Division Two was awesome with you around."

"Oh stop, you sound like you're never going to see me again!" Malkin laughed. "Listen, once things settle down Eve and I will go visit the crew, okay? And hopefully, Ace will be a great commander by then."

Ace grinned at the older man. "You can count on me!"

Falco blinked, looking surprised. "Looks like you've won the popularity vote, Ace."

The vice-commander chuckled sheepishly. "Nah, more like Malkin and I have been on the most missions together in our division, right?"

He turned around to face Falco, seemingly just noticing her presence. "Oh! Well hello there, I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Pleasure to meet you," Falco smiled shyly. "I recently joined the crew, but I've heard many good things about you."

Malkin suddenly peered closer to Ace and nudged him, giving him a teasing grin. "Didn't you do well? Am I going to be invited to your wedding next?"

It took everyone a moment to take in what Malkin had just said. Then:

"Eh?!" Marco cried. "Wait, what?"

"Since when were you two dating?" asked Thatch, visibly shocked. "Ace, you gotta let me know—"

"You guys are getting married?" Amare cut in, hands clasping together. "Oh, you don't know how happy that makes me!"

" _No!_ " Both Ace and Falco yelled. The vice-commander pointed a finger accusingly.

"Of course I would've told you guys if we were dating!" He yelled at the two commanders. "And Amare, why would us getting married make you happy?"

"S-sir, Ace and I barely know each other," Falco stammered out. "We're not even dating."

Amare and Malkin looked dejected while Marco and Thatch sighed with relief. "Thank goodness," the latter said. "I was having my doubts about you guys sharing a bed—"

"They share a bed?" Malkin interrupted. "Okay, now I'm sure someone is lying—"

"We share a bed with a child!" They both cried. Falco could feel her face heating up. "Sir, we're just friends."

"Bummer," the former commander frowned. He crouched down to Amare. "Make sure to give them some space if they need it!"

"You bet!" she smiled. "I'm trying to get them together first—they're both super dense!"

Falco grabbed Amare's hand and started to stomp away. "Amare, let's go find Florence!"

When the two girls had marched off, Malkin stood back up again and let his gaze linger on Falco's back. A rush of nostalgia swept over him as he remembered his early days as a pirate. It surprised him how much times had changed.

"That's her, isn't it?" Malkin whispered. "She's Maria's daughter."

Thatch nodded. "Falco D. Mihawk."

"Falco D. Mihawk?" Malkin repeated. "That's an odd name."

"We're not sure why he's using Mihawk instead of Dracule," said Marco. "Oyaji seems to something but he says he wants to keep it hidden and let Falco find her past herself."

"Find her past herself?" asked Malkin. "What do you mean?"

"She has a Devil Fruit ability within her," Ace explained. "And as powerful at it is, apparently it comes at a price—amnesia."

"Amnesi—what? The only drawback to Devil Fruits is losing the ability to swim. It shouldn't affect her memory."

Thatch shook his head. "It may not even be the Devil Fruit—something else could be affecting her memory, but it does seem to be connected to her abilities. She says she can't remember anyone or anything except her father and her grandfather."

"Akainu and Dracule Mihawk, huh?" Malkin whispered. "What fearsome people…"

"That's why I'm by her side," Ace smiled. "It looks like Amare has taken a liking to her as well, so I'm going to do my best to protect them."

"I know you will," the former commander smiled.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VIII: Until Death Do Us Part**

* * *

"I can't breathe," Falco muttered to herself, looking around. The hundreds of guests from both sides had made the lobby into a disastrous sea of people. The loud chatter and bustling of people made her feel increasingly claustrophobic.

She took a quick glance down to Amare who was looking sullen, an expression that was rarely on the young girl's face.

"Amare?" Falco asked, crouching down once she found a little corner. "What's the matter? Feeling sick?"

She shook her head.

"Are you mad I just suddenly pulled you away?" she asked, brushing Amare's bangs away gently. "Is that it?"

She shook her head again. "No… I'm sorry I teased you like that."

Falco chuckled. "I didn't really mind at all. I just left to let the men talk. I wanted to say hello to the bride as well."

Amare stared at the floor, refusing to meet Falco's gaze. "I was just really happy for a second because I thought you and Ace were really getting married."

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, feeling surprised. " _That's_ what made you upset?"

She nodded sheepishly. "I feel like I'm a bother to you guys. Maybe Malkin was right—I should just leave you guys alone."

"Oh, Amare," Falco smiled gently, pulling her into a hug. "I know you think of me and Ace as parents and he's a great guy but I don't think either of us are interested in a relationship right now, you know? And most of all, we wouldn't have been great friends like we are today if you weren't here. You give me so much happiness—almost enough to make me want to stay here forever."

"But we're not enough to convince you, are we?" Amare asked, burying her head into Falco's shoulder. "You won't stay for us."

"Even if I was married to Ace my end goal would still be the same," said Falco, picking her up. "My ambitions will always be my priority—that's why I'd be a horrible mom—or a friend in general."

She could feel Amare's little head shaking. "No," she whispered. "You'd be a great mom."

Falco patted Amare's back gently, suddenly thinking about her own mother. What was Maria like? Was she like herself, a woman who prioritized her dreams before her family? Did she throw her family away in order to reach her own gains?

But many people had told her that Maria left because she had gotten married. Her mother retired as a pirate so she could raise her. Maria put down every dream, every goal she had to raise her child—and she failed after she had been somehow killed. By Akainu and Mihawk.

Falco felt a surge of anger she hadn't felt in a while as her resolve strengthened. She had put her dreams on the back-burner since her humiliating defeat on that island with Ace and Diego, but she knew that she had to face them someday.

"But once I've accomplished my goal," Falco whispered, entering a small hallway in the corner of the building. "I'll be back for you. And then who knows—maybe I'll get married to Ace."

"Yeah," Amare whispered, falling into a slumber. "That… would be nice."

Falco stood in front of a white door where two attendants wearing grey uniforms stood outside, smiling pleasantly at her and Amare.

"Are you here to see the bride?" one asked. "You may go in—there's nobody in there right now."

Falco blinked awkwardly, feeling anxious about introducing herself to someone that she had never met before. She gulped and nodded, entering the room once they had opened the massive doors.

A single woman was looking out the three massive windows that enclosed around the room. A veil covered her face and several bouquets of flowers surrounded her on the plush, velvet couch that she was sitting on. Her silver hair was tied up into a neat bun as she stared outside.

Falco gently put down Amare on a sofa next to the couch before slowly walking up to the bride. "Um… hello, you're the bride, right?"

She turned around in surprise and chuckled, her twinkling laughter echoing in the large room. "Why yes, I suppose I am. And you are?"

Falco extended a hand. "Uh, nice to meet you. My name is Falco—Falco D. Mihawk. I've recently joined the Whitebeard Pirates."

"It's my pleasure to meet you, I'm Eve," she said, scooting over to one side of the couch. "Come sit down! I just saw you talking with Malkin and some other commanders."

"You saw me—oh," Falco realized that the windows gave her a clear view of the lawn where many people, including Ace, Marco, Thatch, and Malkin were standing around, talking to each other. "Yes, I just introduced myself to Malkin."

Eve's eyes glimmered with melancholy. "He looks so happy, doesn't he? I fear that I stole his happiness—that man loves the sea, you know."

Falco suddenly remembered her conversation earlier with Malkin—how much his eyes had twinkled when he talked about Eve, and how thrilled he seemed to have everybody celebrate his wedding.

"I don't think so," Falco smiled, eyes not leaving the four men. "He seemed really happy talking about you. You guys really suit each other."

"Really?" Eve smiled. "Thank you."

The two watched Ace throw his jacket down on the ground with anger while the commanders all laughed at his behaviour.

"They must've called Ace a kid or a baby," Falco smirked, remembering the few times she saw the usually polite and calm vice-commander rage with anger. "Nothing makes him more angry."

Eve smiled, nodding. "Yes, I heard that from Malkin too. Say, if you don't mind me asking, what's the relationship between you and Ace? I thought for a moment that Amare was your child."

Falco sweatdropped. _Do we really look that much like a family?_ "We're not even in a relationship. Amare likes the two of us together, I suppose."

"What about you?" Eve asked, eyes twinkling. "Do you like him?"

Falco could feel her face go red again at the question. "Y-yeah, but I think everyone likes him. He's young and dependable—warm too, both literally and figuratively."

Eve chuckled and looked at the four men bickering with each other. "I met Malkin by chance—the Whitebeard Pirates were visiting my hometown and it was my first time meeting a pirate! A powerful one too. I was scared so I kept my distance during their time there. I was having a drink alone after a long day of work and he sat next to me at the bar and we began to talk. After exchanging some words and a few more drinks later, I guess you can say we fell in love. It came to me as a big surprise when he told me that he was a commander. He's such a silly man, you know?"

"Did he leave the Whitebeard Pirates immediately?" Falco asked, looking at the tall man who was patting Ace's head jokingly. "Or did you leave with him?"

"Goodness, no!" Eve smiled. "We were separated for a year. He told me to wait and that he'd come back. We kept in touch with lots and lots of letters. And when he did come back, he proposed."

She smiled sadly at Falco. "I still think he prefers life out on sea more, but he gave everything away to be with me. Because I loved him. And he loved me."

"I don't think I could ever do that," Falco whispered, remembering her conversation with Amare. "No matter how much I love someone."

Eve shook her head. "When you love someone you begin to do things _for_ them. Maybe you don't realize it yet, but I think you really love them—Marco, Thatch, Amare… and Ace."

Falco quietly observed the vice-commander from afar. Had she done anything for Ace yet? The vice-commander had done more for her than anyone else had throughout the last decade of her life. He taught her how to read and write. He got her to be more open with people. He helped her make friends and form close bonds. She felt _loved_ —but she hadn't done anything for Ace.

"I don't think I can do anything for Ace," Falco echoed her thoughts. "What does he not have that I can give him? He has friends. He's powerful. He's smart and popular."

"Maybe," Eve smiled at her. "You just need to be by his side. I don't know the Whitebeard Pirates too well but what I do know is that he seems to be a very lonely person."

"Ace?" Falco asked incredulously. "Lonely?"

It seemed impossible—he had close bonds with the other commanders, especially with Marco and Thatch who treated him like a younger brother. Whitebeard was stern towards everyone but seemed to have a soft spot for the young vice-commander. Amare treated him like a brother or even a father at times. He had ties with Mir and Talis, as well as the other vice-commanders she had met. Ace was the _last_ person to be lonely.

"He seems like a very private person," the bride explained. "Malkin told me he often worried about a young boy in the crew—his good nature and gentle personality attracted lots of people, but I don't think he fully trusts any of them."

Falco felt even more confused. Ace? Not trusting Marco or Thatch? Was that even possible?

Eve chuckled at Falco's baffled look. "I'm sure he trusts them to a very high degree—but maybe he has secrets he wants to keep. Malkin told me he knows very few things about Ace's past. Maybe that's something he can't tell anyone—because people will judge him. Maybe he's scared that he'll be abandoned."

"Why? It's not like he's the son of the Pirate King or anything," Falco scoffed. "Maybe he's being too sensitive."

"Everyone has secrets they want to keep," Eve said gently. "My guess is Ace still hasn't found someone he quite feels that he can open up to."

The bride gave Falco a sheepish grin. "I hope I'm not pressuring you to do anything—these are just some senseless observations I've made every time the crew comes to visit. Don't take my word for granted—I could be completely wrong!"

Falco shook her head. "No, your words make perfect sense. Thanks for all of your insight, Eve. Now I know how to help Ace."

Eve nodded and turned around to face Amare's sleeping body. "All of you guys came out to sea for a reason—even that little girl. I hope even without Malkin around, you will all be able to bond together and keep pushing for your dreams."

It was well-known within the crew that Amare's origins were very private. Not even Oyaji knew about her past—Falco had no idea what would make such a young girl venture to the seas alone, but Falco assumed that it was something big.

"I know I must sound really annoying, talking about you and Ace as if I knew you guys inside and out but…" Eve paused for a moment. "When Malkin left me for that year, I regretted my decision to stay, even now. That's one year we've lost and we'll never get back."

She took Falco's hands gently. "You don't live forever and you can't turn back time. Don't waste your life with so much anger and vengeance, because we don't even have enough time to love each other."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VIII: Until Death Do Us Part**

* * *

Falco hugged Amare close while looking around frantically. The ceremony was about to start soon and everyone was getting seated—and she had no idea where she was supposed to be.

"Falco!" Ace cried in front of the lobby doors. "Where were you? I thought you went in already."

"I was talking to the bride," she said sheepishly. "Amare fell asleep."

Ace took a quick glance at the little girl before taking her in his arms. "I'll take care of her. We should go get seated."

The three moved to the front of the aisle, just several rows away from the podium. Falco sat two rows in front of Ace on the right side while he and Amare were behind her on the left.

Malkin was standing at the front, looking calm and elated. Soon, the organs began to play and Eve walked forward with an older man who Falco guessed was her father, with several young children throwing flower petals on the floor.

When she got to the front of the aisle, she gave Malkin a soft, shy smile while the former commander gazed at her lovingly.

"I, Malkin Van Reid,"

"I, Eve Lightgale,"

Falco could feel her lips curve up into a small smile. These were people that would be able to live happy, ordinary lives. Malkin enjoyed spending years out on sea and now he would spend the rest of his life with someone he loved. She felt slightly jealous—would she ever find a happy ending like him?

"Take you, Eve Lightgale,"

"Take you, Malkin Van Reid,"

She had never been very interested in One Piece. She did not want to become a pirate nor a Marine. All she wanted was an ordinary life, where she would be part of an ordinary family.

"To be my lawfully wedded wife,"

"To be my lawfully wedded husband,"

It was a condition that the Whitebeard Pirates would not be able to offer her—life on sea would always be turbulent, and the notoriety of the crew would always make them a prime target for the Marines.

Her family, friends, and memories had all been taken away, and she had been backed into a corner to live a life she didn't want.

"To have and to hold, from this day forward,"

"To have and to hold, from this day forward,"

But was it futile… was it _dangerous_ to dream that one day, she and someone else could live a life like Malkin and Eve? Could she dare to hope? Could there be a future where Mihawk could walk her down the aisle and Akainu would also celebrate her marriage, whether her lover was a pirate or a Marine?

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,"

And could there possibly be a future where she had her memories back but those memories were filled with joy and love instead of hatred and bloodthirst? Or even if she had a painful past, could she hope to have a better future?

"In sickness and in health,"

"In sickness and in health,"

All of a sudden, everything seemed to turn softer, yet more vibrant at the same time. She could hear the birds chirping, the wind softly blowing, and the slightly salty smell of the sea. She could hear Malkin and Eve's ongoing vows and their locked gazes, never letting each other go.

And in that split second she turned her head slightly to face a man two rows across from her, with a small child resting on his lap.

 _They say that you look at the person you love the most during a wedding. You imagine a future with that person and all of a sudden, everything becomes more clear._

 _Your father and I went to a chapel wedding uninvited, because I was curious to see what a ceremony looked like._

 _And when we looked at each other at that moment, I knew that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with._

Dark orbs locked with her golden irises at the exact same moment. And as everyone stood up to clap for the newly wedded couple, only their gaze remained fixated on each other.

 _Neither of us wanted to release our gaze. Neither of us wanted to wake up from the dreams of 'what ifs' and other endless possibilities._

 _But we made it work._

 _Because we both knew at that exact moment that we loved each other._

"Until death do us part."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VIII: Until Death Do Us Part**

* * *

"That was beautiful!" Amare chirped, holding Falco and Ace's hands tightly. "Weddings are great!"

"Didn't you sleep for the entire ceremony—"

"Details, details!" she cried, prying herself out of their grip and running over to Marco. "Hey, buchou! Did you know that Ace can wake people up because his feet smell like biohazards?"

Marco, along with Florence, Thatch, Malkin, and Eve all laughed boisterously as the vice-commander chased down the young girl.

"Hey girlie," Falco heard a voice. She turned around to face Mir and Talis, who were both wearing short, black dresses.

"Vice-commanders," she greeted them politely. "I feel like it's been a while."

Mir shrugged and gave her a small smile. "We've all been busy."

"It's been a while since the entire crew got together," Talis grinned. "Not since Lambon Island, anyways."

"We thought we should grab you—the bride's going to throw the bouquet soon."

Amare once again pried herself out of Ace's grip and ran over to the three women. "Bouquet?! Oh boy! C'mon Falco, I need to send you off before I get old and wrinkly."

"Um, I think I get old and wrinkly before you—"

"Eve, let's go! They're all waiting for you!" Amare cut her off, running back to bring the bride as well.

Eve picked up her dress and stepped up to a small podium. Behind her were a crowd of ladies, some of whom were nurses and others who were vice-commanders. Of all the people, Falco could only recognize Florence, Mir, and Talis.

"Is everyone ready?" Eve asked. "Catch!"

The bride threw the bouquet behind her, and Falco watched in shock as the crowd shoved each other around. She saw a flurry of arms, gritted teeth, and a few shrieks.

"I got it!"

Amare had managed to jump on Florence and leaped upwards to grab the flowers when it was at its highest arch. The rest of the crowd fell unceremoniously to the ground, and Falco sweatdropped as she watched the normally composed vice-commanders and nurses brush themselves off.

"Amare," Florence said with gritted teeth. "Brat used me to get the bouquet…"

"Looks like you all lost to our youngest," Marco chuckled, helping his vice-commanders get up. "Don't worry you guys—when Amare gets married, you guys can go for the bouquet."

"Wow, I didn't think I could feel worse but I just did," Talis deadpanned. "Assuming we're not selling Amare for child marriage and she gets married at the appropriate age… how old would we be?"

"Dunno, probably old and wrinkly," Mir frowned. "Damn, why is she so competitive about this?"

Thatch helped Florence up while glancing at the young child, who was showing off the bouquet excitedly. "Beats me. Maybe she just wants to get married as soon as she can?"

"Commander, she's not even half your height and she's barely old enough to shoot a gun," Mir said, rolling her eyes. "Me, on the other hand… oh no, my hands are getting so wrinkly already—"

"Commanders, we'll be having having the dance soon," a wedding receptionist interrupted them. "If everyone can get seated, we'll start the event."

He bowed and quickly left, surprising Mir.

"Wow. How did we know that we're commanders?"

"Simple," Talis smirked. "The wrinkles on your face show just how much you've aged."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Really? You look a bit more worn-down to me."

"I was just kidding," Talis frowned, looking even more crestfallen than before.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VII: Until Death Do Us Part**

* * *

 _Wonder where Ace went…_ Falco thought, quickly scanning the massive corridors. _Maybe he went to go change his shoes before the dance… it's not like Amare was wrong about the biohazard thing..._

"Hiya, Falco!" A familiar voice chirped behind her.

 _Ah, speaking of the devil._ Falco turned around to face the young girl. "Hello Amare—have you seen Ace by any chance?"

"Nope!" she grinned. "But I have a gift for you!"

Before Falco could ask what it was, Amare held out the wedding bouquet in front of her. "Here! You can have this."

"The bouquet?" Falco asked, gently taking the beautiful white flowers. "But why? You worked pretty hard to get it."

"I know," the child said. "But I wanted to give it to you anyways. Have to send you off before I get old and wrinkly—"

Falco smirked. "If I'm getting married after you, forget the wrinkles—I'll probably be saggy by then."

"That's true," Amare said. "But I'm not going to get married, so it doesn't matter."

"Oh?" the swordsman asked. "You don't want to settle down with a guy? Or are you too shy to date?"

The girl expected Amare to have a witty comeback or make a joke. Instead, the small child gave Falco a warm smile, emerald eyes staring into her own.

"Falco D. Mihawk," she said quietly. "I hope that whoever you marry, you'll be happy."

The girl raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Right... you're saying this because you want me to get married to Ace. Well like I said, I don't know what will happen in the future, but after I solve all the mysteries in my life, I'll consider coming back to this crew permanently."

Amare nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you did say that."

"That's why you wanted to trample Florence and give me this bouquet?" she smirked, holding out a hand for her to grab. "C'mon, let's go find Mr. Biohazard and see who he's killing next with his stench."

Again, Amare did not pipe back with a playful reply, nor did she grab Falco's hand. She quietly stood before her, the smile still plastered on her face.

"Amare, you can stare at me when I sleep, but we should go find Ace—"

"I was alone when the crew found me," she said suddenly, startling Falco. "You know—Ace. He's the one who found me. And I told you that I'm protective of him."

Falco furrowed her eyebrow at Amare's erratic behaviour, but nodded, nonetheless.

"I may be younger than everyone else in this crew, but I've seen things and gone through things that maybe I shouldn't have. And I know everyone has their stories—I'm not trying to say that mine's worse than someone else's. In fact, your history may be more tragic than mine—who knows."

Emerald orbs stared at the bouquet in Falco's hands. "I like you because I think I can understand you. I understand how terrifying it is to form bonds. I understand that being loved is _scary_. That's why I trust you so much. But Falco, as you mentioned, no one knows what the future is holding for us. And there may be a time when you may not even be here with us. We're not immortal—one of us could die or disappear."

 _Maybe I shouldn't have told her that I'll leave someday._ Falco thought, biting her lip. _Maybe I'm giving her separation anxiety._

"Amare," Falco said quietly. "I'm sorry for making you anxious. And again, I'm sorry that I can't promise I'll always be here. But chasing after my dreams, defeating Mihawk, and finding out about my past—that's all in the distant future. As for you, me, and Ace… I want to live in the present. That's something I've never been able to do before. But now I have people around me that I want to make memories with."

Falco crouched down and playfully tapped Amare's nose. "If you're so worried that I'll suddenly leave you, I'll make a promise. Even if I turn old and wrinkly, I'll be there to walk you down the aisle for your wedding. I don't know what's going to happen in between that but on that day, I'll be there."

Amare's lips tightened to a straight line. "You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep."

"You're right—maybe I'll die before then," Falco continued. "Maybe I'll lose my memories again and I won't be able to make it. But as long as I'm alive and I remember you, I'll be there."

The young girl pursed her lips. "You promise?"

"As long as I'm alive and I can remember you," Falco repeated. "Promise."

"Falco? Amare?" Ace cried out from behind them. "Jeez, why do you guys keep disappearing? Come on, we have to go for the dance."

Amare wrinkled her nose. "In that case, I sure hope that you changed your socks."

"EXCUSE ME?"

"You guys should head in first—I need to take a dump."

Before Ace had a chance to grab the little girl, she dashed away down the hall. Ace sighed in exasperation and annoyance.

"Kids these days. C'mon, we should go in at least. Amare can stay with another crew member but they want all commanders and vice-commanders to be present for the first dance."

Falco looked at him curiously. "I'm not a vice-commander though."

"Well Thatch listed you as his vice-commander during reception," Ace said. "He wanted to let you experience some of the things only commanders and vice-commanders can do."

"Oh," she said, nodding slowly. "Okay."

Ace glanced down at what she was holding. "Isn't that Eve's bouquet? I thought the brat caught it—I heard Mir complain back in the ballroom."

"Hmm?" Falco went, looking down at the batch of flowers. "Oh, you're right. I don't know, Amare said she wanted to give it to me for some reason. Something about walking me down the aisle before she turned old and wrinkly."

The vice-commander snorted, smirking. "Such a funny little person. Well, maybe we can send you off to someone nice before you leave."

"Ace," Falco suddenly said, grabbing the bottom of his sleeve. "Do you… do you think I'm making Amare sad by being here? She's been saying all these weird things about me leaving her someday and hoping that I'll like you and her enough to stay. I didn't mean to make her feel so sad—I mean, I just wanted to let the crew know that I won't be here forever."

The Mera Mera no Mi user furrowed his eyebrows. "Really? That mischievous kid's been saying things like that? How odd."

When he looked at Falco's concerned gaze, he understood that she wasn't kidding.

"Well," he said smiling. "Guess that goes to show how much she loves you. Maybe she _is_ a bit worried that we'll leave her someday. After all, she doesn't seem to have a family of her own. But at the same time, she loves you so much that she's worried about you leaving. Maybe there's going to be a day in the future when we'll really have to say goodbye to you. But until that day comes, I think it's more important that we live for the present."

Falco relaxed slightly, letting his sleeve go. "Okay. That's what I told her as well."

"I don't know why she's so fixated on you and me rather than the other crew members," said Ace. "But no matter who she likes or where we'll be in the future, it won't change the fact that we're still family."

"Family," Falco smiled. "You're right. I guess I'll just focus on making her happy during the time that I'm here for."

"Good idea. Oh shit—we need to go!"

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **VIII: Until Death Do Us Part**

* * *

Amare hadn't come back by the time that the dance had started, but Falco quickly found herself to be too mesmerized by the sight before her to worry about the young girl.

The commanders and vice-commanders sat on several long tables that stretched across the ballroom. The other members of the Whitebeard Pirates and the guests sat on rows of chairs on the floor or up in the balcony. Falco, though not an official member of the Whitebeard Pirates, was invited to sit next to Thatch as a representative.

"Where were you?" Thatch hissed, once she sat down.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "I was looking for a certain little girl…"

"Amare," Thatch smirked. "The dance is just about to begin so you didn't miss anything, at least."

Falco glanced around. On the furthest end of the table, Marco sat next to Mir. An empty chair was next to her, most likely in respect for Malkin, who had retired from his position. Ace sat passively next to another empty chair, which she presumed was for Jozu. A vice-commander she didn't recognize sat next to Thatch.

The other tables around her were also filled with commanders and vice-commanders that she mostly didn't recognize. She knew some of them from Lambon Island and the Ducere Tournament, such as Vista and Reagan, but there were also people that she'd never seen before.

"Eve and Malkin look so perfect together," Falco sighed happily, looking at the two tall figures before her. Malkin had his black hair neatly tied back while Eve let hers down, silver locks tumbling down her slim waist. Both of them were standing on either side of the room, facing each other. The lights dimmed, and two spotlights were pointed onto them.

A slow ballad echoed out from the speakers as the bride and groom slowly walked towards each other.

"Wow," Falco breathed, as the newlyweds began to twirl on the dance floor. "They're really good at dancing."

"The crew has several dances throughout the year," Thatch whispered quietly. "I don't know if Eve ever learned or Malkin taught her, but the crew sometimes hosts balls. Especially for important birthdays."

Falco smiled softly. _Looks like pirates are more civilized than what people give them credit for._

"Commanders will be invited to the dance floor after this first dance and the father-daughter dance," he continued. "The nurses as well, since the gender ratio is pretty disproportionate."

Falco immediately froze in her seat. "Thatch, I don't know how to dance."

"Don't worry, it's not hard," he smiled reassuringly. "Your first partner will be me anyways, so I'll do my best to teach you on the spot."

She could feel her hands clamming up immediately. Dancing? She didn't know anything about dancing, and she didn't want to ruin the beautiful wedding by stumbling and making herself look like a fool.

Her nerves relaxed a little as she watched Eve dance with his father. Malkin stood on the side, watching happily, but Falco realized that none of his family members had attended the wedding. The girl could guess that he was either on bad terms with his parents, or they had died.

"Oh, looks like it's our turn," Thatch said, standing up. He held an arm out for Falco to hold. "Don't sweat."

 _Easy for you to say._ Falco thought, hesitantly grabbing the commander's arm.

Each commander stood in a straight line with their partners as the speakers read their names out one by one.

"Please welcome: the first division, Marco and Mir!"

Falco eyed the pairs in front of her and saw that Malkin was paired with Talis, and Florence was paired with the vice-commander that she didn't recognize from the third division.

"…and from the fourth division, Thatch and Falco!"

The girl blinked out of her thoughts as she walked forwards together with the commander. She glanced at Ace worriedly, who gave her a big grin from the table that he was still seated at.

Once all the commanders were on the dance floor, another slow song started. Thatch smiled at her reassuringly, before gently placing one hand on his upper arm and the other in his own hands.

"Just follow my lead," he smiled, swaying back and forth. "And relax, you're breaking my arm."

Falco bit her lower lip half in frustration and half in nervousness, but slowly found herself moving with the rhythm. And instead of being half a beat late by following Thatch after he moved, she found herself subconsciously moving at the same time with him.

He looked at her with a slightly sad and nostalgic expression, as if remembering something bittersweet.

"Damn," the commander chuckled quietly. "Haven't danced with someone so beautiful in years."

Falco frowned. "You liar. Mir, Talis, and Florence are all prettier than me."

"I've never danced with them," Thatch shrugged.

"Why?" The girl asked. Just by observing, she could tell that commanders and vice-commanders weren't completely restricted by their divisions. After all, Malkin was dancing with Talis, who was a first division vice-commander.

"The fourth division is a bit of an anomaly," he explained, continuing to sway with Falco. "We don't try to be, but we end up being slightly exclusive as a division. When Maria was here, we were kind of like a family on our own. I guess I just wanted to keep that legacy by keeping our division separate from the others."

He glanced at Falco who looked at him with curious golden eyes.

"The last person I danced with was with Maria," he finished quietly. "And now I get to dance with her legacy."

Falco smiled, feeling bittersweet. "I hope we have more dances in the future. And I'll be here, so you can always dance with me."

Thatch grinned back, grip tightening around her waist and her hand. "Didn't you say that you're going to leave?"

"You and Amare both," she frowned. "I'll come back for the dances."

"Perfect," Thatch said. "I'll be here waiting."

The song finished and Falco surprisingly found herself enjoying the dance. Her feet were aching slightly from her heeled shoes, but it was still a thrilling experience, nonetheless.

"We will have one last dance," the speakers announced. "Anybody who would like to participate should come down to the floor now."

Thatch loosened his grip on Falco before taking a hand over his chest and bowing, the girl giggling as she did the same.

"There's not a lot of women here to partner up with, so I'll let you go for someone else."

Falco could feel her hands clamming up again. "What if my next partner wants to… you know… throw me around or something?"

"That's impossible, you'd be too heavy to throw into the air," Thatch said, a mischievous look on his face.

"Did you just call me fa—"

"Have fun, kiddo. I'll be watching from the sidelines."

Falco puffed her cheeks out as she watched the tall man slip into the crowd. Once he disappeared from her line of sight, she looked around, wondering who her next partner would be.

"Mind if I join you?" A voice asked. She turned around to see Malkin's handsome face.

"Commander," she smiled. "Shouldn't you be dancing with Eve?"

The tall man shrugged casually. "We'll be rotating partners during the dance so I'm sure I'll meet her eventually."

The lights dimmed again, and pairs quietly settled onto the dance floor. Malkin extended a hand which Falco took graciously.

"I haven't danced with anyone from the fourth division in years," he chuckled, making Falco loosen up slightly as well.

"Thatch told me. He said that the fourth division was pretty exclusive, compared to the other divisions."

Malkin looked up thoughtfully. "I guess you can say that. Maria was Oyaji's closest confidante so the entire division itself was held with high regard."

The more Falco listened to stories about her mother, the prouder she felt. Maria really seemed like a great person and a great leader, remembered by so many within the crew even though it had been years since she had passed.

"It feels like yesterday when Maria was here with us," said Malkin. "But I hope you don't feel burdened by her legacy. You're your own person, and we know that, but I'll apologize for people who just say that you're Maria's daughter."

"That's okay," Falco shrugged. "Mihawk's name covers my own anyways but I like being referred back to my mom more. She sounds like an awesome person."

Malkin chuckled as the two continued to sway. "Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it. She knew what she was doing—a monstrous fighter in battle, a strict commander within the crew, a mom to stragglers and outcasts, and a friend to us all. We were lucky to have her for the time that we did."

The commander suddenly let go of her waist and spun her around while letting go, but not before giving her a wink.

"It was nice to meet you, Falco D. Mihawk. May you have fair winds and following seas."

Before Falco could turn around to look for him, she felt another pair of hands around her body. She whipped her head to the side to see the perpetrator, only to be met with a familiar set of dark orbs.

"'Lo there, Falco," Ace grinned, adjusting his grip.

"Hello," she smiled, momentarily forgetting about Malkin.

The man smiled. "Lucky to find each other in this crowd, huh? You danced really well with Thatch."

Falco gave him a small frown. "I felt pretty bad—I think I stepped on his toes once or twice."

"Oh, I think it was more than just once or twice."

"Are you serious?" She exclaimed in horror. "Oh no… I should go apologize to him."

"I'm just kidding," Ace laughed. "Goodness, you're gullible."

Falco's frowned deepened as she blushed a deep shade of crimson. "Don't scare me like that."

Ace didn't say anything but adjusted her hand so that she was grabbing his shoulder rather than his upper arm.

Falco felt herself leaning closer to Ace's body, which smelled smoky and radiated heat, as usual. She could tell that her face was turning red, partially from the heat and partially from their close proximity.

"You look nice today," Ace said, breaking the awkward silence. Falco gulped and nodded meekly, face inches away from his chest.

"Y-you look nice too."

Ace chuckled at her embarrassed expression. "It's fun to watch you. Every day you show me a new expression."

"Very funny," Falco huffed. "You're just a pervert."

Ace immediately frowned. "That's not the 'new expression' I was hoping for..."

Despite her embarrassment, Falco couldn't help but smile. She slowly met her gaze with his, allowing herself to be entranced by his dark eyes.

"What?" Ace asked after a moment. "Got something in my teeth?"

The girl quickly shook her head. "No. I've been talking about the past and the future quite a lot recently. Amare, Malkin, Thatch... they all remember my mother in the past and hope for my future. But because they're both so uncertain, I guess there's a small part of me that's worried."

"Understandable," Ace said. "We'll get through it together."

"But..." Falco continued. "It's not a lie to say that I want to spend the rest of my life with this crew. With Oyaji, Marco, Thatch, Amare... and you."

Ace's face showed the slightest tint of red. "Uh... I'm honoured, I guess."

The girl gave him a small smile. "Such silly wishes. I don't care about being a pirate. Hell, I don't even care about One Piece or becoming the Pirate King. I just want a family in my life. Someone who will be with me until my dying breath."

The vice-commander grinned. "I know what you mean."

"I don't blame Amare for always being so anxious," she continued. "Because I feel the same. But today... yesterday... the day before that..."

Her golden eyes looked up at his, and he saw a confidence in her that he hadn't seen before.

"I can say that I've truly been happy," she murmured. "Because I was able to share my memories with the people closest to me."

 _Ah..._ Ace thought, as the two continued to sway on the dance floor. _That's the 'new expression' I was hoping for_.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Definitely my favourite chapter to read and write so far. I apologize if the dialogue is pretty redundant, but there's not a whole lot I want to talk about as most things are being kept hidden.**

 **Sorry for the lack of updates—it's definitely the busiest time of the year. I'm not sure how many chapters I can crank out this summer but we're getting close to chapter 10! (Can you guys believe it's been almost a year since I've released brand new content? I'm so sorry!)**

 **I've also released Chapter 1 of a Sword Art Online Fanfiction called 'Maverick Mecha Online', which you should check out if you have a chance!**

 **As always, please leave me a review to keep me motivated!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:  
** **mindmybiz**


	9. Hexadecagon

**Guess who forgot to update before finals started? Me.**

 **Sorry about the long wait! Finals are over now and I'm officially on summer break. I still have school though, so updates won't be frequent (I'm much busier over summer than the regular school year). Chapter 10 has been completed since last year, but I haven't even started on 11 yet, so please forgive me if it takes a while! As always, my PM's are open if you want to chat.**

 **A hexadecagon is a sixteen-sided polygon.**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Hexadecagon**

* * *

 _Fight for yourself_

 _Fight for your dreams_

 _Fight for your life_

* * *

 _After the ceremony, I danced with Ace. He was warm, as usual, and we talked about my past and future, as usual. But I feel like he knows more about me—a person with amnesia, than I do about him—someone who still clearly remembers his past._

Falco looked at the words on her journal and frowned. Her handwriting had gotten significantly better—she even thought that they had a degree of fluidity, with even strokes throughout the entire page.

No, she was frowning at the _content_ of the words. Ever since she had talked to Eve, Falco couldn't stop thinking about what potential secrets Ace had. She figured it would be disrespectful to pry, but Eve had mentioned that whatever he was hiding, he was hiding it from the entire crew, not just her.

She also wondered _why_ she was so curious. Sure, Falco was curious about Amare's past, but she didn't feel the same way about Marco, Thatch, Florence, or even Whitebeard himself. She was only curious about Ace and what had led him to become the person that he was today.

"Hmm? You want to know more about me?"

Falco whipped her head around, only to find her face inches away from Ace's. She stumbled back in surprise, knocking her chair over and almost falling, if it weren't for Ace's lightning-fast reflexes that caught her arm.

"Sorry," he chuckled, gently pulling her back up. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Falco's frown deepened as she closed the book shut with an angry _thump_. "I thought these things were supposed to be _private_."

"You're right—I apologize," he smiled, eyes crinkling into innocent crescents. "Just wanted to check up on your handwriting, but I didn't think you would be writing about me."

The girl didn't say anything, her face turning redder and redder.

Ace laughed as he sat on the edge of the bed. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about! I think it's natural to be curious."

He grinned at her reassuringly after watching her skeptical face. "Really. And in all honesty, we should be apologizing to you, Falco. Your past will probably have things you don't want to remember or things you don't want others to find out about, but because you've lost your memories, someone may find out before you. And… that's not fair."

Falco clutched the large book close to her, looking down. "Yeah. I'm scared to know, even though I am a bit curious. I could've done something heinous in the past… and then I'll get kicked out from the family."

The vice-commander stood up before crouching down so that he was looking up at Falco's golden eyes. Ruffling her head gently, he said: "Even if everyone else disowns you for what you've done in the past, I _never_ will. I'll give you my word."

Instead of giving him a appreciative reply or being cheerful, Falco grew even more curious.

 _What's so terrible about your history that you can confidently tell an amnesiac you'll never judge her for what was done in the past?_ She thought. _It's scaring me._

At Falco's lack of response, Ace dropped his hand and sighed.

"I don't know why you've suddenly grown curious," he said, rubbing he back of his neck. "But… I can't say much for now. Things change when I tell people."

"So you're telling me that you won't judge me for what I did in the past," she said slowly. "But you don't think I'll be impartial back to you?"

Ace chuckled. "Well… I don't think that's how impartiality works."

Falco blew the bangs out of her forehead in annoyance. "Fine, I won't pry. But I'm the same as you—I won't judge. As long as… you know, you're not a mass-murderer who hunts down amnesiac women and disembowels their organs while drinking their—"

"NO!" Ace cut her off, looking shocked. "And since when did you have this… this dark sense of humour?"

"Can't remember. Amnesiac, remember?" She grinned. Ace gave out another hearty laughter before starting to fold his clean laundry.

Not even a minute later, Ace stopped his task and looked around curiously. "Maybe I was gone for too long for breakfast, but where's Amare?"

"In the bathroom," Falco said, looking at a picture of a map. "It's been a while though… maybe she's sick?"

Just as Ace stood up to knock on the door, Amare came out, looking at them curiously with her emerald eyes.

"Heard my name," she said, sitting next to Falco and across from Ace. "You guys missed me?"

Falco smiled and tapped her nose. "Of course we did. What took you so long? Feeling sick?"

"Constipation," Amare shrugged. "Damn, I swear to god those churros from yesterday are still messing with me. What were in those fu—"

"THAT'S NICE!" Ace cut her off immediately. "CONSTIPATION. NICE."

Falco furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't think we even had churros yesterday."

"It's no biggie," Amare shrugged casually. "At least I don't smell. Holy smokes, if you've ever smelled Ace's farts you'd be sharing a room with someone else by now—"

"That was _ONE_ time," Ace cried, jumping up. "You _know_ what cold food does to me—"

"Fukubuchou, you had like, two cubes of ice," Amare said, plugging her nose as if Ace had farted again. "Putting the 'fuk-u' in 'fukubuchou' alright…"

Falco paused for a brief moment. "Did… did Amare swear successfully for once?"

"Okay, she was talking about my title, not fu… you know, _that_ word," Ace grumbled. "And Amare, it's not my fault that my body doesn't do well with cold food!"

"Either way, _I_ was the one who had to breathe through that stench for twenty-four hours," she frowned. "Falco, you'd be shocked if you knew how potent they were."

"Are _not_! You're making me look terrible—I thought you wanted me to get married to her but you're making me look illegible for _anyone_!"

"That's true, but she needs to love your flaws so she can love your good traits as well," Amare said in a matter-of-factly tone. "Otherwise, she'll be disappointed!"

"D-disappointed?!" Ace sputtered. "I have a _lot_ of good traits!"

"I'm still here guys…"

"Right, so we need to make sure you don't eat anything cold—so no ice-cream dates. Make sure to always wear clean shoes and clean socks. And have a mint before you go in for the first kiss—"

" _Where_ did you learn all of these things from?!" Ace cried.

Falco's eyes widened in horror. "Wait, didn't I give you the rest of my ice cream when we shopped? On that first island after Oyaji gave me some allowance?"

"Yeah! That's why fukubuchou was in the bathroom the entire night afterwards."

"I didn't even realize," she cried in horror. "I'm so sorry!"

Before Ace had a chance to say he was fine, Amare cut in again. "But Ace, I swear you used Marco's bathroom—isn't that because you knew how… potent… you could be?"

"That's it." Ace seethed, angrily throwing a clean shirt down. "Come here!"

Amare squealed in surprise as the vice-commander leaped over the table and tackled Amare to the floor, tickling her as she went down. Falco laughed quietly in her seat, watching the two sibling-like pair fight as if they were children.

"No, Ace!" She cried, squirming as he continuously jabbed her waist. "I'm sorry! I surrender! I surrender!"

"Never!"

The door suddenly clicked open, making everyone freeze immediately.

The first commander's tired eyes looked at each one of their faces before scoffing, as if he didn't believe the sight before him.

"I came here to tell you about the Hexadecagon Tournament… but I heard some… _interesting_ things as I made my trip down the hall," he said, looking amused. "All the other commanders and vice-commanders are preparing their divisions for the next battle or training on deck but I come here and you guys are talking about _poo_? Unbelievable."

"Aw, c'mon!" Amare grinned, pulling the commander inside. "You're not actually mad, are you buchou? Please don't be mad! I thought I should give Falco a fair warning."

Marco chuckled as he picked up the child. "I can never be mad at you. Besides, I think it's good we warn Falco beforehand."

"MARCO!"

"Sorry, Ace. Now, Amare… what did you call your vice-commander instead of 'fukubuchou'?"

"BUCHOU!"

"Sorry, sorry…"

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **IX: Hexadecagon**

* * *

Falco stared at the sheet in her hand, feeling bewildered.

"So… you're telling me that we're approaching this giant island…"

"Yep."

"And each division will fight against each other?"

"Yep. Well… only the commanders and vice-commanders."

"And it'll be a fight to the death?"

Amare looked up from her snack, which consisted of soggy chips and a stale bread. "The tournament normally stops right before death."

Falco blinked, but still looked ticked off. "Okay, so… we pummel each other right until we're an inch away from death's door."

"Yep," Ace said for the umpteenth time. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah, just one," Falco said, whipping her head to the side to glare at her commander. "So _why_ did you put me as the representative for the fourth division?!"

Thatch raised his hands up, giving Falco a sheepish look. "I'm sorry—I'm actually a bit sore from my last mission and you're the closest person I have to a vice-commander."

"Vice-commanders are normally nominated through this tournament," Marco added helpfully. "To lead a division requires two things: strength that can be proven, and a popularity vote from the crew."

Florence nodded next to the man. "If a commander nominates you and you perform well in this tournament, the crew can vote if they want you as a vice-commander or not. If you're approved—congratulations!"

Falco shook her head and closed her eyes, sighing. "That's not the point. I'm asking _why_ you nominated me to be a vice-commander when I never even wanted the spot!"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Amare cried, bounding up to her. "Then even if you leave, you'll know that there's always a crew out here waiting for you. A home that you're in charge of."

The girl relaxed a little bit and chuckled. "Oh, Amare. You know me too well, don't you?"

"Well, guess that's settled," Marco grinned. "We're an hour away from docking at New Moon, so get ready."

Everyone dismissed themselves immediately, Florence rushing back to the nurses who were preparing for the worst casualties, Marco talking to his group of vice-commanders, and Thatch who began to converse with Whitebeard. Ace, Amare, and Falco all headed back to their room, a nervous tension in the air.

Falco's eyes were glued onto the roster, reading the list of names in her head.

 _Marco, Ace, no one from the third division, me, Vista, Blamenco, Rakuyo, Namur, Blenheim, Curiel, Kingew, Haruta, Atmos, Jiru, Fossa, Izo… Ace is the only vice-commander and I'm the only person trying to get a position._

"Memorizing the roster?" Ace asked, walking out of the bathroom with his inconspicuous orange hat. "We'll be drawing the names once we dock so no need to worry right now."

Falco looked up from the sheet of paper and couldn't help but smile at Amare and Ace's attires, despite the grave situation.

"What?" The man asked. "Got something on my face?"

She shook her head. "No. It's just that we haven't worn these clothes in a while."

Amare looked down at her own clothes and grinned. "You're right! This is what we wore the first time we met on Root Island!"

Everyone was in their own attire—Ace wearing his black shorts, black boots, red accessories, and the bright orange hat. Amare was in her green shorts and black tank-top, outlined by white fabric. Falco was wearing her off-shouldered blue sweater and shorts, with her swords next to her. Because she had so many new clothes now, she didn't don her past apparel as often.

"Feels like you've been here forever," Amare smiled, bounding up to the girl. "It's like we were meant to be!"

Falco nodded in agreement. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be here, training for ten years to only be slaughtered by my own family."

"Oh come on, it won't be _that_ bad!" said Amare, holding her hand. "Florence is a great doctor! If someone rips your limbs off, I'll rip theirs too, and then I'll ask the nurses to treat you!"

The swordsman rolled her eyes heavenward at the thought. "Lovely. I'm not nervous anymore."

Ace placed his hat on his shaggy hair and ruffled Falco's head. "You'll be okay. I'm actually kind of excited to watch you fight."

"What if we end up fighting each other?" Falco asked. "What should I do?"

"Better prepare yourself," the vice-commander grinned. "Because I won't go easy on you."

Falco opened her mouth to retort but then smiled. "That's good. I'm the same."

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **IX: Hexadecagon**

* * *

Falco was shocked once she saw New Moon—it was a circular island with little vegetation, and the lowest point of the land was below the sea level as a giant crater had apparently formed it into the shape of a bowl.

"Children of the sea!" Whitebeard cried, once everyone was off the four ships. "Today will be our annual Hexadecagon Tournament!"

The deafening roars of her crewmates startled Falco—this was a completely different air compared to the Ducere Tournament or Lambon Island.

"Commanders. Vice-commanders. Future vice-commanders," the captain said, holding up his massive _bisento_. "As a family we fight for each other. But today, we fight to see who is the most capable—the strongest of the strong, and the man who leads the most triumphant division!"

 _"WHITEBEARD! WHITEBEARD! WHITEBEARD!"_ Everyone chanted.

"Because Jozu is away on a mission with his vice-commanders, one person will be sitting out from the first round. But first, we must draw the ladder that will determine the fate of the divisions for the next year!"

Florence stood next to the massive man and picked out a small piece of paper. She handed it to the captain, who read out from the much-too-small scrap.

"The first round… Marco!"

"Looks like my time's here!" Marco said, chuckling next to Ace.

Florence read out the next name. "Up against Commander Marco will be… Commander Izo!"

A delicate looking man with more make-up than Florence also stepped forwards, spinning twin rifles around his fingers.

Falco watched quietly as the two men walked to the centre of the crater—everyone else remained around them, a tense feeling lingering in the air. Whitebeard sat a few meters away from her, downing a bowl of sake.

"Watch carefully," Ace said softly next to her. "Because there isn't anyone more graceful in the skies."

Before Falco could ask what he meant by that, the ringing of a gong nearly made her jump and before she knew it, the 1600 members of the Whitebeard Pirates began to cheer.

Marco and Izo immediately jumped away from each other with the latter firing quickly from his rifles. Marco quickly maneuvered sideways, dodging the shots.

"My devil fruit lets me shoot with impeccable aim," Amare said next to her. "Reagan can dodge regular shots. Marco doesn't have Reagan's speed and Izo doesn't have my aim—"

"Then how are they commanders?" Falco asked. "If you and Reagan can do what they can't?"

Just as she said the last word, a bright blue light illuminated the gloomy island, and when Falco looked up, the commander had changed to his phoenix form. She smiled a little at the bird of fire—Marco had been the first commander she met after being rescued by Ace and Amare, and she had wondered what he was initially.

"I'd forgotten that we all wielded fire," Falco said softly to Ace. "You have red fire, Marco has blue, and I have silver."

Izo pulled back as Marco threw down a flurry of fireballs at him before firing several more rounds. Instead of dodging, however, Marco stood still in the air.

"LOOK OUT!" Falco cried.

But rather than the bullets piercing him as she expected, they went cleanly through the man—and any subsequent scratches and injuries he bore also disappeared with his fire.

"What the—" Falco breathed. "Did… did he just heal himself?"

"Phoenix Marco, with the blue flames that heal," Ace confirmed. "Izo is strong and no one here doubts that—but when it comes to Marco, he's pretty impossible to beat. His flames hurt like hell and even if you can hit him, he'll heal before he gets injured again."

Indeed, Falco's eyes widened at Marco's ultimate ability. There was just no ways that _anyone_ could beat Marco, who was strong even without his Devil Fruit. But with his blue wings of fire, Falco was not surprised when Izo collapsed a few minutes later. Secretly, she wondered what a battle against Oyaji or his own father against Marco would be like.

"The winner is," Whitebeard said, standing up from his chair. "MARCO!"

" _Marco! Marco! Marco!_ " Everyone cheered. Several nurses helped Izo up and moved him to an infirmary, with his division trailing worriedly behind him.

Falco tapped Ace gently. "How injured is Izo? I'm not afraid of a few scratches but damn… Marco didn't look like he was holding back."

Ace raised an eyebrow amusedly. "Didn't you say you weren't going to hold back either? We're representing an entire division, of course you don't want to go soft against your opponent!"

 _That's true._ Falco thought. "Well, I'm glad I can minimize my injuries by not going this round."

The vice-commander smirked and patter her head. "You'll be fine. I can't promise that you'll get out unscathed, but no one here has the intent to kill."

Falco worriedly looked over the arena as the rest of the matches flew by. The knot in her stomach was growing tighter and tighter, and all she could remember by the end of it was how impressed she was at everyone's ability to fight, as well as the dreaded feeling of knowing that she was going to get pulverized.

Still, she noted Vista's match against Commander Rakuyo, a man that used a terrifying spiked flail to create uneven ground wherever it landed. But after a few minutes of cat and mouse, the fifth division's commander was able to successfully defeat Commander Rakuyo by using an elaborate combination of elegant sword moves, as well as quick thinking on his feet.

Ace's match had also been interesting as he had gone against Commander Namur, a fishman. Generally, Ace's fire would be weak against Namur's natural element, however, Ace was able to fight evenly on the waterless terrain and became the first vice-commander of the tournament to defeat a commander.

"We will move on to the second round," Whitebeard announced once the rest of the matches had ended. "Congratulations to Marco, Curiel, Vista, Ace, Blenheim, Atmos, Fossa, and Falco."

"Ace was able to defeat a commander… looks like he proved himself to be ready," someone whispered behind Falco.

"Maria's daughter will be in the next round. But didn't she lose to Vista last time?"

"Idiot, she won against Mir and Talis during the Hexadecagon Tournament!"

"No, that's true but I remember someone telling me that Vista crushed her on Lambon."

Falco frowned slightly as she heard the chatter. She wasn't able to showcase her decade of hard work on Lambon. It was different than when she fought with Ace, because Vista knew her weakness and was able to break her—he took her biggest fears and insecurities and turned it against her.

Everyone watched intensely as Florence brought the bowl of names to Oyaji again. The captain picked them out quickly, and a new roster was soon formed.

"The first match will be between Atmos and Ace," he thundered. "Then Falco and Vista."

The girl stiffened immediately. _Vista again!_ She wasn't sure if she was excited to have another chance to show her skills, or absolutely terrified at the thought that she was going to lose again.

"Then we have Bleinheim and Fossa, followed by the last match for this round—Marco versus Blamenco."

Ace put a warm hand on Falco, startling the girl. He gave her a kind smile and said: "You'll be fine. You're not the same person as you were when you fought him on Lambon Island."

"Ace, it hasn't even been a month since I last fought him," Falco hissed. "I've barely trained during my time here—he'll murder me."

"Listen," the vice-commander said, as the crowd around them dissipated to find a good spot to watch. "Do you remember why you lost last time?"

Falco was silent for a moment, gazing evenly at Ace's silver eyes. "He made me afraid. Not really because of the injuries, but because of the thought that I would lose."

The vice-commander nodded. "Right. Vista could see that. Hell, we _all_ could see that. But Falco—don't forget that losing to Mihawk once, losing to Vista once doesn't mean that your decade or whatever of training on Root Island was pointless. And it doesn't mean that you're weak."

She nodded quickly, looking away. "I know."

"And it doesn't mean that you won't get a chance to defeat Mihawk in the future."

"I know."

Ace gently grabbed the side of her face and made her look up at him, completely surprising her. Falco could feel her face grow warm, and any nervousness she felt from hearing her name being called against Vista's soon disappeared.

"Why is your face so cold?" Ace asked, frowning.

"Well, why are you holding my face?" She asked, grinning. "People are going to get the wrong idea."

The vice-commander rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "If they didn't get the 'wrong idea' before, they sure are late to the party…"

"Ace!" Falco scolded, slapping his arm gently. "You know it's nothing like that. Besides, Amare and I sleep _away_ from you."

"Oh, that's not what I told the rest of the crew."

"WHAT?!"

"Kidding, kidding," he grinned. "You're still as gullible as ever."

Falco groaned but she couldn't hide the grin from her face. "Is this another one of your stupid tactics to make me relaxed?"

The older man looked offended. "What do you mean 'stupid tactics'? And as far as I'm concerned, they've worked every time so they're not stupid."

"You're right," Falco said. "Just childish."

"JUST—" Ace sputtered angrily. "I AM _NOT_ A BABY!"

"Well you're acting like one because we've already called your name ten times!" Marco yelled, suddenly running up to him from nowhere. "Do your best, baby!"

Before Ace even had a moment to register what happened, Marco and Thatch had kicked the vice-commander forcefully into the arena, where Atmos sweatdropped as he watched Ace land on his face.

The Whitebeard Pirates laughed heartily as Ace cursed furiously at his superiors. Falco too, couldn't help but grin at the sight of them. Even in the midst of such an intense battle, the crew never stopped joking around and having fun. She watched carefully as the vice-commander brushed himself off and lowered his stance right before the gong rang and leapt forward with his signature move.

 _Hiken no Ace._ She thought, watching the brilliant flames illuminate the small island. _The one who illuminates the world._

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **IX: Hexadecagon**

* * *

Ace had won against Atmos after much difficulty—the vice-commander and the commander both wouldn't give in, until one final _hiken_ from Ace settled the score. Falco could tell that both were tired from their previous battles, but was impressed at Ace's persistence to keep fighting against his superior.

"Good work," Falco said, handing Ace a towel. "You look tired."

"Guess you can say that," Ace sighed, sitting down. He groaned painfully while clasping his shoulder, where Falco spotted a nasty gash.

"Ace…" Amare said worriedly. "Maybe you should go see Florence?"

Ace quickly eyed the blonde nurse who was treating Atmos who had been knocked out by Ace's _hiken_. "No, just let the nurses be. They have enough on their hands already."

Falco bit her lower lip in worry until she felt a hand clasp her shoulder. She turned around abruptly only to face Thatch.

"You're up," he smiled. "Go get 'em, champ!"

Falco glanced back at Ace who gave her a small smile. "You can do it. I believe in you."

"Falco," Amare frowned, tugging on her shirt. "Here, take this."

The girl handed her a small, black pendant shaped like a rose.

"Whoa," Falco said. "What's this? Looks expensive."

"It's just something I like to have around," Amare explained sheepishly. "Kind of dumb, but I like to think it keeps me safe. It's like a good luck charm!"

The swordsman looked at the intricate design curiously. "Are you sure you want to lend this to me? It could get lost or destroyed in a fight."

Amare shook her head quickly. "It won't. It's made from black diamonds."

Falco raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "Where did you get something so—"

"Falco, you're up!" Marco cried, shoving the girl into the large crater. "Go get him!"

The girl quickly put the expensive pendant into her pocket and took a step closer to Vista, who bowed politely at her.

"So we meet again, Falco D. Mihawk," the commander smiled. "Are you ready to face my wrath?"

Falco drew one of her swords— _Asa no Eiko_ and held it between them. "It won't be like last time. I'm stronger than I was back then."

"Oh? Brave words for a young girl." Vista smiled. "Then don't expect me to go easy on you!"

A gong rang in the distance and both Vista and Falco leaped forward, the ringing of metals clashing and the cheers of their crewmates echoing almost dizzily in the horizon.

 _Don't be scared._ Falco told herself, as she quickly deflected Vista's strikes. _You know his abilities. You know you can work your way around them._

"I wonder why she's not using her other swords," Amare said, frowning. "Must be harder to block since Vista's using two and she's only using one."

"Good observation," Thatch said, patting the girl's head. "But having more swords doesn't always mean that you'll be at an advantage. Falco most likely understands this."

"While nittoryu gives you the benefit of attacking and blocking at the same time, you're also required to have the strength to block and strike with one hand. Not doubting that Falco has the strength, but look at Vista," Marco said, looking at the two fighters. "His frame is massive, compared to Falco."

"I'm guessing she's just going to entrust everything to one sword," Thatch shrugged, sitting down next to Ace. "That seems to be more her style, anyways. Clean and simple."

Falco wasn't sure if Vista was fighting to the best of his abilities, but she could see somewhat of a pattern when he was striking. The two had gotten into a rhythm, of Vista striking, Falco blocking, Falco striking, then Vista blocking.

Amare's eyes widened. "Whoa! It's like the two of them are dancing. It… looks kind of pretty!"

Ace's eyes narrowed. The most dangerous thing to do in a swordfight was to get into a rhythm. Being in a rhythm meant that your moves were predictable, which led to unexpected counterattacks.

"Wonder who's going to break the beat first," Marco whispered, echoing his thoughts. "One of them is probably caught in the others' rhythm."

But when Ace looked at their faces, Vista simply looked excited, and Falco looked as calm and determined as ever. Neither of them looked like they were trapped in the dance.

Suddenly, the two swords clashed as the swordsmen stood still, locked in an intent gaze.

"Mm?" Vista went, raising an eyebrow. "You've gotten stronger, little one."

"Yeah?" Falco smiled, gritting her teeth. "That's a surprise, because I haven't practiced at all since coming here."

"You allowed yourself to fall into my steps," the commander explained. "But you didn't panic and worry about what I would do next. You merely followed the beats and made the dance into your own."

Falco leaped backwards to ease the tension and held out the sword before her. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But if you want to dance—"

The girl jumped into the air before somersaulting forwards, using her entire weight to strike Vista. "Then I'll gladly give you one!"

The two leaped with incredible speed, but Falco's nimble body was much faster. She moved with agility, in quick bursts of gold and silver from when her sword briefly clashed with his.

 _That's right._ She thought, allowing herself to move faster and faster. _It doesn't matter who I am or how long I've trained for. I need to fight without bringing the burdens of my past to the battlefield._

"Look at her go," Thatch chuckled. "What elegant swordsmanship. Vista's flower dance is beautiful, but there's something about Falco's blade that's so cultured."

Indeed, Vista's blade brought with them wisps of dangerous and magnificent petals, ready to pierce with each strike, but Falco moved with her blades as if they were an extension of her body. The nimbleness and the way she so elegantly dodged and struck back reminded those watching of a viscous liquid.

"Magnificent!" Vista all but cackled, rushing forward with a fury in his eyes. "Simply magnificent! I won't go easy on you!"

Falco knew that Vista's biggest advantage over her was his large frame and significant weight, which could crush her even if he didn't have any swords. Though Vista's strikes slowed down slightly, each one left a numbing feeling in her hands, vibrating throughout her entire body.

"Rose Rondo!"

"Blessed Gale!"

A flurry of rose petals mixed with a hurricane of white exploded in the centre of the crater, knocking a few people off their feet. Both Vista and Falco landed gracefully, but struck again the moment their feet touched the ground.

"They're dancing again," Ace said, watching the familiar pattern of blocking and striking. "But Falco seems to be on the offensive this time—holy shit!"

Just Vista was about to strike, Falco disappeared and suddenly materialized behind the commander, sweeping his legs off the ground with a brutal kick. Because of Vista's large frame, the man fell unceremoniously, before quickly standing up again.

"Where is— _oof!_ "

Falco came out of nowhere and kneed his chin, before disappearing behind him.

"Commander, look out!" A voice called.

Before Vista even had a moment to register what was happening, the saw murderous golden eyes only several feet away, coming in towards him with frightening speed. He wondered for a split second if this was the last thing a prey would see as a hungry falcon swooped down to kill.

Vista could only see bright sparks from Falco's blade as it rode up his sabre, and then a satisfying _clang_ as his swords flew up to the sky.

No one moved. No one breathed.

"W-winner is," a crewmate said, hitting the gong. "Falco D. Mihawk!"

The island erupted with cheers as Falco breathed heavily, not quite believing what had happened. She had allowed her instincts to take over, and when she came to, Vista was staring at her with disbelief.

"Falco!" Amare cried, launching herself into her arms. "That was amazing! Kind of terrifying, but amazing!"

Thatch, Marco, Florence, and Ace all trailed behind the young girl, a proud look on each of their faces. Vista too, was smiling gently as he clapped with the rest of the crew.

Thatch gently grabbed her hand. "I know you don't want to stay with us forever. And I know you have your reasons of not being able to stay with us. But for the time that you're here… why don't you lead Division Four with me?"

Falco's eyes widened at his sudden proposal. "Eh? Me? B-but I barely know anyone from the crew except for you guys…"

"You can meet people with time," Marco said gently. "Everyone here is impressed, and I have no doubt they'll respect you and your strength. You beat Vista, after all."

The commander nodded. "Roam the seas with us, Falco. Continue to train with me and the others here. We won't hold you back from your dreams, so move forward with us. You've already gotten stronger since the last time we fought."

If Falco's heart was a big, knotted ball of yarn, she could feel it starting to slowly unwind.

"It's not fun to travel without you," Amare smiled, hugging her tightly.

"C'mon, the nurses adore you already!" said Florence.

"Mir and Talis have been itching for a rematch."

Falco looked at each one of them nervously, but her eyes lingered on one man.

"You did it," Ace said softly, eyes crinkling into crescents. "I knew you could. I believed in you."

The girl looked at the vice-commander's silver orbs, full of worry and excitement.

"Will you still be with me?" She asked quietly. "And would you still teach me everything you know about the world?"

Ace smiled gently at the swordsman. "I wouldn't teach you anything. Because we'd experience them together."

Falco nodded stiffly before turning to Thatch. "Commander Thatch. It would be my honour to serve you and Division Four as its newest vice-commander."

Thatch smiled and enclasped her hand with his, raising it up to the sky. "The newest vice-commander of the Whitebeard Pirates! Falco D. Mihawk!"

 _"Falco! Falco! Falco!"_ The crew chanted. Falco grinned shyly, waving her free hand to her brand new family.

 _Maria,_ Thatch thought, looking up at the orange-purple sky. _Today, in over ten years… Division Four got a new member._

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **IX: Hexadecagon**

* * *

The rest of round two was as exciting as the other matches, with Fossa defeating Bleinheim, and Marco overpowering Blamenco, commander of Division Six. Soon, the ballot for the third battle was drawn, and everyone was excited to know if the two vice-commanders would be able to defeat the commanders for the first time.

"The first round," Whitebeard said. "Marco versus…"

 _Please not me,_ Falco begged silently. _I'd rather go against someone I don't know._

"Fossa!"

Falco let out a sigh of relief as she watched the other commander look dejected. She remember hearing from Florence that Marco had completely annihilated Fossa the year before, so she understood why he looked worried.

"What's with that look of relief on your face?" Ace asked, smirking. "Are you trying to say that going against me is better than Marco or Fossa?"

 _Go against—WAIT._

Panic immediately struck as she looked at the ladder and indeed, saw her name next to Ace's. She could immediately feel her hands turning clammy and her vision becoming white.

"Keep your composure," Vista chuckled behind her. "I thought you got over panicking in battle."

Falco was frozen stiff, face turning paler and paler by the moment. Beads of sweat dripped nervously down her face.

"Oi oi, are you alright?" Marco said, looking worried. "Ace, what did you say to her?"

"Nothing!" He cried. "Just telling her that we're fighting next."

"Oh boy!" Amare smiled, jumping up and down. "Go beat Ace's a—"

" _Anyways_ ," Florence interrupted, giving Amare a deadly stare. "This will be an interesting fight! I've seen Falco and Ace work together, but never against each other! It'll be great to see our baby be put to his place by a woman for once!"

Ace snapped his head towards the nurse, looking furious. "I'm _not_ a baby! And what do you mean 'for once'?! Every woman on this godforsaken ship puts me 'in my place', whatever that means!"

Everyone but Falco laughed heartily at the bickering, but the crowd dissolved once Fossa and Marco entered the battlefield.

"You coming?" asked Ace, staring at Falco who was completely white and stiff with fear. "C'mon! Let's go watch Marco wipe the floor with Fossa!"

She heard the gong ring in the distance, and saw Marco's magnificent blue flames roast the poor man into charcoal.

 _I…is that what's going to happen to me?_ She thought, petrified. _I didn't come all this way to end up as barbecue!_

"YEOWCH!" Fossa cried, as a flurry of blue feathers pelted down.

"Ooh," the crowd went, as the centre of the crater illuminated brightly. "Ahh."

Marco reverted back to his human form and stuck out a thumb, grinning brightly over his victory.

 _"Marco! Marco! Marco!"_

"Hey Falco?" Florence asked. "You don't look so good."

 _I'm doomed!_

"They're telling us to go in," Ace said, pointing at Fossa who was being taken away by a stretcher. "No use dilly-dallying!"

"Um," Falco meekly said. "I think I broke my—"

"No bones broken," Florence said unhelpfully. "I examined you quickly."

"My sword is—"

"Right here," Vista smiled, materializing next to her. "Go get him!"

"I think I'm—"

"Ready to go?" Marco asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's the spirit!"

Before Falco could even attempt to finish her sentence, Marco had shoved her off the ledge and into the arena, where Ace was waiting patiently for her. Immediately, she could hear the crowd starting to whisper.

 _"Isn't that Mihawk's daughter?"_

 _"I heard they share a room together."_

 _"If Falco beat Vista, does that mean the winner of this match will become a commander?"_

 _"Swords versus fire? Is that even fair?"_

 _"Ace will probably go easy on the girl."_

Falco gripped her sword tightly, listening intently to the voices. She hadn't realized that so many people who she had never met were assuming and gossiping about her. She wasn't even sure what the extent of Ace's powers were, but the things that she had seen absolutely petrified her.

"Che," Ace said, smirking. "Pirates like to gossip as much as regular townsfolk do, eh?"

Falco averted her gaze, shifting uncomfortably. "Yeah…"

Ace took a step closer to her and peered at her. "Hmm? What happened to all that zeal when you were fighting Vista?"

The girl let out a deep sigh as she regained her composure. She looked at Ace directly in the eye as if to make her mind up about something, before unclasping her belt which had all of her sheathes.

"Amare," she called. "Take these."

The young girl quickly jumped next to her and grabbed the three swords. "Eh? Aren't you going to use them?"

Falco smacked her fists, a burst of silver fire appearing at the impact. "Nah. Not for this fight."

"Oh, interesting," Ace said, grinning at her enthusiasm. "But wait, didn't you say that using your Devil Fruit abilities made you lose your memories?"

 _That's true,_ she thought, looking downwards. "That's just how much I care about this fight. Besides…"

"Hm?"

"Even if I forget, you're in the memories that I want to remember the most—so you can just remind me," she said, blushing. "Or… is that too much to ask?"

The vice-commander blinked, feeling surprised. When the gong rang in the distance, he grinned as he regained his composure.

"Not a problem," he said, getting into a defensive stance. "So do your best!"

Ace swiped quickly with a fist of fire while Falco jumped away, shocked again at Ace's speed. She could tell that he was testing her out, as he hadn't used a full-blown _hiken_.

"It's here!" Amare cried, looking up at the sky.

With a cloud of smoke, Falco had soared into the sky with iridescent wings reminiscent of a dragons'. Her golden eyes looked at Ace unkindly as she flew downwards, body covered with silver fire.

"Maybe it's because she doesn't normally use her Devil Fruit abilities in a fight," Thatch said, scratching his head. "But I don't think she ever told us what the properties of her fire were, right?"

Marco nodded next to the commander. "You're right. Ace's fire burns like regular fire, my fire can burn and heal, but Falco's silver fire… well, looks like we're about to find out."

Falco attempted to hit Ace with a burning foot but the vice-commander successfully blocked her attack by crossing his arms before his body, until he suddenly felt a prickling sensation that he had never experienced before.

 _No…_ he thought. _I've felt this up to the point that I consumed the Mera Mera no Mi…_

"What is that?!" Someone cried, pointing at Ace.

A small, black and purple fire streaked across Ace's left arm before slowly disappearing, leaving a patch of mildly burned skin.

"That's… impossible," Ace whispered, looking at his burned flesh. "You didn't even use haki… there's no ways that fire should've burned me…"

"You're right," said Falco, looking at the silver and orange fire around them. "Unless your fire burns forever."

"The colour of that fire is weird," Amare murmured. "Isn't Falco's signature fire silver?"

Falco turned to Amare and nodded. "My fire is split into two kinds—silver fire, which can take shape at my command—including how hot I want it to be, and black fire, which cannot be extinguished unless I command it to do so."

"That's why he got burned…" Marco muttered. "Incredible."

 _I can't use it for long though,_ Falco thought, gritting her teeth. She pulled a hand back and covered it with black fire, before launching it forward towards Ace.

"I call this," she said, just barely missing Ace. " _Hellfire!_ "

Ace flipped backwards before regaining his composure, looking carefully at his black shorts which were being burned by a small, dark flame.

 _Wait a minute._

"I was wondering why a devil fruit would give you two different kinds of powers," Ace said, smirking. "I thought it was a little unfair, but I think I understand it now. As well as the reason why you rarely use this power—other than the fact that it worsens your amnesia."

 _Shit._ Falco thought, biting her lower lip nervously. _He figured it out with just two attacks?_

"First," Ace said, looking at Falco's bright red hand. "Hellfire—it can be powerful against people like me and Marco, people who normally don't get burned—but it also means that you need to burn yourself to utilize it, right? That's why you don't use it often—because having an injured hand means you can't wield a sword."

 _He got me._

"Second," Ace continued. "I know you can't remember the origins of your Devil Fruit, and I admit I don't understand why it would worsen your amnesia, so it's impossible to tell what Devil Fruit you actually own. Is it a fruit based on dragons? Or fire? Or something else entirely?"

Thatch frowned, crossing his arms. "That's true. Given her form though, I'd say it's more likely she's a dragon though. Dragons breathe fire, but fire doesn't always equate to dragons, since Ace doesn't have a form and you turn into a phoenix."

Marco nodded next to him. "But then why are there two different types of fire?"

"Again, I don't know the properties of your Devil Fruit," Ace said. "But what I can understand is that you can't just use your silver flames as they don't burn me, even though they can mould at will but you can't always rely on Hellfire for attacking, since it injures you as well. Am I right?"

Falco gave him a pleasant smile. "All right. It's amazing how you managed to figure it out with only two punches."

"I didn't understand," said Ace. "When we fought for the first time against the Marines, I saw no Hellfire. My best guess was that you didn't want to use it, in case you got injured or injured someone else by accident."

The girl nodded. "Correct."

"But I also saw that the small fire that was burning my pants didn't grow any larger in size, unlike regular fire. It led me to guess that your black and silver flames are like two halves of a same whole. You can't mould Hellfire as easily as your silver flames, but you can't use your silver fire offensively like you can with Hellfire—at least, not with people like me and Marco."

"The silver fire is called Moonlight by the way," Falco said. "And once again, you're correct."

"Can I ask why you're using it now?" The man asked, still inspecting his burnt skin.

Falco held two hands in front of her where one had a small, black flame, and the other, her signature silver flames.

"No good reason," Falco said. "I used my swords against a swordsman, and now I'm using my fire against the infamous Hiken. Is that a problem?"

Ace grinned as he pulled his flame-covered fist back. "You asked for it! HIKEN!"

Falco smirked as she pulled her fist back as well.

"HIKEN!"

"Whoa, wait, what?" Amare sputtered, looking at the silver and orange flames nullify each other. "That's got to be copyright. Bet Ace is pissed."

Florence glared at the little girl but nodded, nonetheless. "Falco is copying Ace's moves. I'm guessing that's because she doesn't use her flames very often herself, so she needed some last-minute ideas."

Sure enough, the vice-commander pointed at Falco angrily. "HEY! That's my move! You can't just take it!"

"Sorry," Falco said, looking sheepish. "But a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do!"

Ace's frown deepened. "Kagero!"

Falco swiftly dodged the stream of fire before flying up with her iridescent wings.

"Pyxis."

White pellets of fire, which Ace realized were white feathers, rained down around the entire crater.

"Higan!"

Falco maneuvered around the skies, attempting to dodge all of the bullets. Although she had a good resistance to fire, it didn't mean that Ace's fire (which she knew had haki), wasn't deadly.

The girl landed gracefully on the ground, but not before covering both her hands with black fire. Ace instantly braced himself, knowing that these flames could be lethal.

At the last moment, Falco made the flames on her hands disappear and kicked Ace's abdomen forcefully.

"A good hit," Marco nodded. "But she's underestimating Ace if she thinks he'll be remotely injured from that."

Falco gritted her teeth as she felt her hand sting with every successful punch. _Damn… do I have to use that?_

"If you're not going to fight seriously, you'll get hurt!" Ace cried, doing a backflip to give himself distance. "Hidaruma!"

Bright fireflies surrounded the girl as she looked at them curiously. _What are these?_

"Got you."

They exploded quickly at once dust and debris flying everywhere. Falco winced at her now-burned clothes and skin whereas Ace merely looked tired from her brief encounters.

"Hydra!" Falco cried, flying towards Ace at a frightening speed. She quickly elbowed Ace and sent him flying to the other side of the crater while she gave herself some distance. "Ares!"

Black fire swirled around her before expanding rapidly, patches of the ground flickering with dark flames. Ace wiped the blood away from his mouth as he looked at the devastation before him worriedly. He could quickly tell that though the black flames were powerful, Falco couldn't seem to control it to a level that he could with his Devil Fruit.

 _It's time to finish this,_ he thought, slowly standing up. _Good fight, Falco, but you're light years away from me without a sword…_

Falco panted heavily, vision blurring in front of her eyes. Using her Devil Fruit wore her out because Hellfire was so difficult to contain, and she couldn't risk hurting others in the crowd. But even with so many powerful moves, Ace was too experienced of a fighter to get caught in random attacks—and experience was one thing she sorely lacked.

Ace covered himself with fire, tipping his orange hat. _You're full of surprises, but I won't lose to someone else with fire._

"Is Falco okay?" Marco asked, looking down worriedly. "She's not moving."

"Maybe she's just thinking," Thatch said. "Or she's nervous."

Amare's eyes narrowed at the black fire all over the crater. They seemed to slowly move _back_ to Falco, as if she was a magnet.

 _Hmm?_ Ace thought, looking at the black fire curiously. _I thought she couldn't mould Hellfire to her will…_

"Are the black flames going out?" Florence asked. "Or a different kind of fire?"

"No, they're moving towards her," Amare whispered, eyes suddenly widening. "What is that?!"

Just as Ace took off with a fist full of fire, massive black flames spurred out from Falco, growing slowly in size.

 _What the hell?_ Ace thought. _No matter—it's time to end this._ "Enkai!"

"Heed my call," Falco said quietly, closing her eyes.. " _Izanami_!"

With a mighty and terrifying roar, a massive woman entirely covered with black fire rose up from the ground, towering over the entire island.

Thatch's jaw dropped at the incredible sight before him. _This must be why she calls it 'Hellfire'…_

Ace skidded to a halt, looking up at her creation with terror.

"I'm not done yet," Falco murmured, but Ace could see that the girl was slightly panting. "Answer my prayers, Amaterasu!"

Silver fire emerged from the girl and moulded into the shape of a massive silver wolf, peering over everyone from the clouds. Everyone's jaws dropped in shock from the two figures before them.

"One who rises from hell, and the other from heaven…" Thatch said, whistling. "Would you look at that?"

 _What is this hidden card up your sleeve?_ Ace thought, feeling slightly nervous. _I'm the one who didn't take you seriously…_

Falco stretched a hand before her body. "Skybreaker."

The massive silver wolf and the terrifying face of Izanami rushed towards him at a breakneck speed.

 _I can't lose to fire,_ he thought, smiling cryptically. "Dai Enkai: _Entei!_ "

Silver, black, and orange fire all swirled into one, sending a wave of hot air blasting throughout the parameter of the island. Marco quickly shielded his face to avoid any flying debris, and smaller crewmates like Amare were knocked off their feet.

"What power!" Thatch exclaimed, looking at the two tired vice-commanders. "Looks like Falco really did get something out of her ten years of training…"

Even Whitebeard had stood up from his seat to see who the winner was. The entire island remained silent, stunned at the new vice-commander's power.

"T-THE WINNER IS…" a crewmate cried out, hitting the gong.

Ace panted heavily in front of Falco's unconscious and injured body.

"PORTGAS D. ACE!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Please leave a review!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:  
** **mindmybiz  
Guest**


	10. Words I Cannot Convey

**Holy smokes! The last NEW chapter came out on June 18th, 2018. Thank you so much for your patience. There were just a lot of fatal flaws in the first seven chapters, and I wanted to take some time to edit everything. However, as you may know, each one of my chapters are from 6000-10,000 words. Re-reading everything takes an extremely long time, so I prioritized editing over writing this past year.**

 **There are several reasons why the chapter was so late.**

 **In hindsight, writing this chapter wasn't so bad. However, I am soon entering my last year of university, and third year was really, really difficult. I can't imagine giving up Romance Dawn because I started it in 2012, so it's become a large part of who I am as a writer. However, the hype around _One Piece_ has died down immensely since then (which was when the Marineford War ended and we were well into the Fishman Island arc). Sometimes I wonder if it's worth writing 10k words for a chapter if no one is reading them, especially when I have schoolwork as well. (But for all those who DO read/review/follow/etc., I really, really appreciate it).**

 **The other major problem I faced over 2018 was the length of my chapters. I don't/can't shorten them, even if I want to. Sometimes there may be an excessive amount of detail or dialogue, but I think that's the charm of this story. I've gone to great lengths to make this story as close to the canon as possible, and I have no intentions of cutting out anything.**

 **However, I am currently in midst of self-publishing a novel, and I'm aiming for 100,000-200,000 words. _Hunger Games_ didn't even crack 100,000, and _Wool_ (which is a pretty hefty novel), is only 150,000 words. In comparison, the first book of _Romance Dawn_ with its 100+ chapters should be just under _1 million words_.**

 **This meant that I had to learn how to cut out unnecessary detail and really only include what is needed for my original story. But shifting between two different writing styles is no easy task, and I struggled a LOT due to this. My original story takes precedence because I need to publish it before I graduate, but I also cannot abandon _Romance Dawn_ because it's the story closest to my heart, and I am determined to finish it.**

 **TL;DR: I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.**

 **Chapter 10/11/12 are the last of the 'slow' chapters before things really pick up in chapter 13, then settle down for the rest of the arc, which is presumed to have 25 chapters in total.**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Words I Cannot Convey**

* * *

 _What are you so afraid of?_

* * *

 _How dull._ Falco thought. _I lost again._

 _What even is the point of me fighting anymore?_

"Psst," Falco heard someone say. "Oi…"

The girl sat up so quickly she smashed her forehead against someone else's. She rubbed her head in pain, then blinked when she saw Ace's semi-conscious body on the bed.

"A-Ace!" She cried, feeling startled. "Are you okay?"

"Jeez…" He muttered, squinting his eyes in pain. "Did I surprise you _that_ badly?"

"I'm sorry," Falco said, feeling sheepish. She looked around her surroundings. "Is this our room?"

The man looked at her and nodded. "Yep. You were brought back after the match ended."

Sure enough, she was greeted by the familiar walls of their bedroom with Ace still looking injured and Amare nowhere to be found.

"I lost the match, huh?" Falco asked, looking downcast. "But congratulations on winning, Ace!"

Ace scratched his head. "About that… I lost to Marco pretty quickly, so I didn't win anything at all. Actually, I should be congratulating _you_ for becoming our newest vice-commander!"

 _Vice-commander…_ Right, she had forgotten that she tentatively took on the position.

"Was I out for a long time?" She asked. "Certainly feels like it…"

Ace shook his head. "Not at all. Thatch helped Florence bring you here while Marco and I were fighting, and I just woke up a few minutes ago myself. Went to the dining hall to grab some water, and Marco told me I hadn't even been out for an hour."

"I see," Falco whispered. Then she looked up and gazed at Ace's injury.

"You're hurt!" She cried. "I'm so sorry… I don't really know how to control my fire yet."

The vice-commander laughed boisterously. "Don't even worry about it! It's not too bad. Actually, I wanted to talk about your powers for a bit, which is why I woke you up. You were so cool! It's too bad you have to exchange that kind of power for your memories though, huh?"

"I guess so…" she whispered. "But I don't really mind—I think I've always wanted to be a swordsman first and foremost, so it's not a weakness that bothers me a lot."

"But it was amazing," Ace said, leaning back on the bed. "Silver fire that morphed into Amaterasu, and black fire that morphed into Izanami—damn… I still get terrified thinking about it!"

Falco sat next to Ace. "I thought your powers were amazing too! You never cease to amaze me!"

Ace blushed ever so slightly. "You think so? Thanks…"

"Is there something wrong?" She asked. "You look a little warm…"

Ace shook his head quickly. "Nothing at all! I'm fine!"

Falco gave him a warm smile before standing up and dusting herself off. "Well, it looks like Florence hasn't had time to treat you yet. My bandages aren't as nice as hers, but I guess I can do some emergency care first!"

The girl took a fresh change of clothes in her hands and entered the bathroom, wanting to clean her own wounds quickly first. She checked her face carefully to see if there were any deep cuts, but she realized quickly that her worst injury was her slightly burnt arms, but those had been bandaged and treated well by Florence's care.

The girl tied her hair quickly and looked down, when something suddenly caught her eyes.

 _So much blood…_ She thought, looking at the trash can filled with bloody tissues. _Was Ace injured that badly? Maybe Marco gave him a nosebleed or something…_

Falco turned off the bathroom lights before kneeling next to Ace and opening up the first-aid kit. The vice-commander looked at her skeptically.

"You're not gonna like… strangle me with it, right?" he asked, looking worried. Falco slapped his bare arm playfully in annoyance.

"Of course not—what made you think that way?"

"I don't know, maybe you want revenge for me beating you…"

"Ace!" She scolded again. "That's terrible!"

The vice-commander gave Falco a goofy grin. "Well, I suppose you won't need to do any delicate procedures. I just need a few bandaids on my face and I'll be good to go!"

Falco scrunched her eyebrows as she examined Ace's body. "You're right… I thought you'd have worse injuries…"

"There's still some blood stains here and there," he admitted. "But those will be gone after a quick shower. I think this gash on my nose and cheek are the worst though."

The girl couldn't help but feel worried. _Is he hiding an injury from me? I wonder why._

Ace gulped in nervousness as Falco's concentrated face leaned closer to him, her faint smell lingering around him. He didn't know why he felt so nervous, but seeing her golden eyes and pink lips so close to his own made his heart thump rather strangely. He felt slightly awkward around her since their time meeting Diego.

"All done," Falco smiled, pulling back after what seemed like an eternity. "I know Florence is busy right now, so these should at least hold you together for the time being. After we grab dinner, you should shower and get proper help from the nurses."

"Yes ma'am," Ace said, mock-saluting the girl.

Just as Falco was cleaning up the mess, the two heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Ace said.

Marco stepped in, looking sheepish. The commander had several bandages across his chest and a few plasters on his face, but his expression showed that he wasn't fairing too badly.

"Yo," he grinned. "I didn't interrupt something, did I?"

Falco turned bright red while Ace rolled his eyes. "You and your jokes. What's up?"

"What, can't come to see our favourite baby?" Thatch asked, peeking right behind Marco.

Ace stomped his foot furiously on the ground and threw his hat at them, fist ablaze. "I am _not_ a baby! And stop saying 'our' baby!"

Marco clicked his tongue. "Now, now," he grinned, sounding oddly like Florence. "We're an open community with a strict no discrimination policy so that the crew is a safe place for all—"

"Bullshit!" Ace screeched, tackling the commander to the floor. "This is why everyone _still_ treats me like the dumbass I was when I first joined the crew—"

"Okay, but it's a _little_ hard to forget Oyaji kicking your ass while he was sleeping—"

"I was a _kid_ back then!"

"Oh so you admit you'rea kid?"

"Wha—no!" Ace sputtered. "I didn't say that!"

Falco shook her head amusedly at the two antics. "May I help you guys?"

Thatch grinned as he patted her head gently. "We'll be hosting a dinner party tonight—for Marco who won the Hexadecagon Tournament, and for you."

"Me?" Falco asked, raising an eyebrow. "What did I do?"

"You're our newest vice-commander," Marco said, throwing Ace across the room. "And that's a damn good reason to celebrate, if you ask me."

Falco bit her lower lip out of nervousness. She kept forgetting, likely because she wanted to repress the thought of having so much new responsibility.

Thatch looked around a little bit. "Where's Amare?"

As if on cue, the girl poked her head out from the door and waved. "Wow, I didn't realize how popular I was—I'm right here, you dingus."

The commander picked her up easily and tapped her on the nose. "Of course we missed you, princess! Where were you?"

Amare shrugged. "I had to go get a band-aid from Florence. I tripped and fell on the stairs."

"You should be careful," Marco said. "Was it a bad injury?"

Amare shook her head. "Not at all—more importantly, the dining hall smells _really_ good right now."

Thatch chuckled as he began to walk out the door. "The Hexadecagon Tournament always has me beat. I really hope they'll have some of the roast I liked…"

Marco smirked as he watched the two leave. "Well, the food isn't going to stay hot for long. You guys coming?"

Ace nodded. "Of course."

Right as the First Division's commander left, Falco grabbed Ace's hand.

"Hmm?" He asked, looking at the girl. "What's up? Not in the mood to eat?"

She shook her head. "It's not that. The vice-commander position..." she said, looking worried. "What does it entail?"

Ace sat back down on the bed next to her, a kind smile on his lips. "By definition, it's not that bad of a job. You just assist your commander and your fellow crewmates—which you do anyways."

"Then… what's the point of having a vice-commander?" Falco asked.

"In Malkin's case, he retired, which left a commander spot open," he explained patiently. "But very few—if ever, do commanders retire. If they're not here, it means they've died—and the person who will take his position is the vice-commander."

Falco's expression morphed into terror. "You mean I'm here to take Thatch's spot… when he dies."

"Yes," he said, looking sad. "But don't worry—commanders rarely die. They're all very strong."

 _But I'm not strong physically or mentally,_ Falco thought, feeling panicked. "I don't think I can do this—not when I have to constantly think about Thatch's death."

Ace chuckled, standing up and pulling Falco along. "You don't have to worry—Thatch is one of the strongest members in this crew. He won't die easily."

Falco's churning sense of worry suddenly disappeared when she entered the dining hall, all eyes fixated on her.

"Hey, there's the party girl," a crewmate cried, pointing at Falco. "C'mere, we were waiting for you!"

She anxiously took a seat at a table with Marco, Thatch, Amare, and Florence. It still felt scary to be the gaze of so many people.

Whitebeard stood up, bisento in hand. "Children," he announced. "It has been a rough few weeks. There will be a change in the seas—I can feel it in my bones. But even amongst coming times, we were able to meet, rescue, and welcome a new family member."

He looked at Falco warmly. "Falco D. Mihawk. Though your ties to the seas have been turbulent since birth, do not ever forget that you are a child of the sea. Do not ever forget that you are now one of _my_ children. Do not ever forget that we are your family."

"You should say something too," Ace whispered next to her. "Just a thank-you will do."

 _Public speaking isn't my forte…_ Falco thought, a bead of sweat rolling down her face. "Um… I know I haven't been around much—y-you know, because I've been with Marco, Thatch, Ace, Amare, and Florence the most. But…"

She clenched her fists tightly, thinking about her short time here and how much she had grown already. "I do not know much about my past. I can't remember my name, I can't remember my age, and the few things that I _can_ remember are not pleasant. I lived each day without meaning. Days without memories nor happiness. Days alone."

Falco faced her new family evenly, golden eyes becoming more confident. "I do not know what the future holds for me. But for the time that I'm here—as a crewmate and as a vice-commander, I'll do my very, very best to protect everyone here. Thank you for accepting such a lacking person."

Everyone clapped. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the Division Four members wiping a tear.

 _Mother._

"I don't know who Maria is—I can't remember anything about her," she whispered softly to her division. "But I'll do my best to carry on her legacy—and to create a new one for the second generation of the Whitebeard Pirates."

 _"WHITEBEARD! WHITEBEARD! WHITEBEARD!"_ The hall chanted, holding up mugs. _"FALCO! FALCO! FALCO!"_

"Let the banquet begin!" Whitebeard shouted.

Falco plopped down on her seat, feeling spent. "How was it? Did I stutter a lot?"

Ace shook his head, stuffing his face with food. "Not at all! It was a good speech."

"Better than yours," Marco remarked, eating equally as fast. "You kept eating and sleeping on deck—we thought you'd died!"

"Shut up," the vice-commander muttered. "You all are dumb—I was just appreciating the food."

Marco rolled his eyes good-naturedly, grinning.

"So when are you going to get your tattoo?" Amare asked, munching on a loaf of bread. "We all have ours."

Falco looked at Amare and Florence in surprise. "You guys too?"

"You can't really see mine," the nurse said. "It's on the side of my thigh."

"Mine's here," Amare said, holding up her index finger. "Got it on the finger that I use to pull the trigger. That way if I do kill someone, I know it's because I'm protecting those who wear this mark."

"That's… surprisingly philosophical of you," Thatch said. "I guess if you have a Devil Fruit that guarantees an accurate shot, someone's bound to die, huh?"

Amare nodded, stuffing herself with bread. "Yeah. But most of the time, I aim for the body to immobilize the target—I don't normally shoot to kill. I'm not a god—having a power like this sort of freaks me out. There's too many moral repercussions to think about when you shoot to kill."

"Never thought about it that way," Marco said, shrugging. "You're a smart one, aren't you?"

Amare looked at the commander proudly. "I am a learned child."

"So where are you going to get tattooed?" Florence asked, shifting the attention back to Falco. "You could match with the nurses and get one on the thigh."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Marco said, drinking beer. "Jenny complained to me for a week about how much it hurt."

"The thigh's not supposed to be too painful," Florence frowned. "Jenny's just being weak."

Falco looked at them curiously. "Who's Jenny?"

"A nurse," Amare said, continuing to stuff herself. "So, where are you going to get tattooed?"

Falco thought about the question for a few moments. She felt incredibly happy to be part of the Whitebeard Pirates, but there was a part of her that didn't want to get tattooed.

 _Maybe I'm scared of committing to something that will stick with me for the rest of my life._ She told herself. _Maybe I'm nervous because everything is too sudden_.

"Falco?"

The girl jerked her head upwards and glanced at Ace, who looked at her with worry.

"You okay?"

She shook her head quickly. "I'm fine. Um… I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way, but… I'd rather not get tattooed right now."

To her bewilderment, the group simply laughed, nodding at her in understanding.

"Well, nothing to worry about. Everyone gets jittery before their first tattoo—take your time," Thatch said. "People put it on places that they think is important, so you probably want some time to think about it and consider your options."

"Reminds me of Maria," Marco chuckled. "She was terrified of getting a tattoo."

"Really?" Falco asked, feeling surprised. "Why?"

Florence rolled her eyes good-naturedly, smiling as she said: "Just because the woman was a great fighter, doesn't mean she had a high pain tolerance. She hated anything that hurt—spicy food, extreme weathers, the occasional sea sickness—it was funny, seeing such an esteemed fighter getting knocked out by a tiny chilli pepper."

Silently, Falco wondered if Mihawk liked spicy food since she didn't seem to have a problem with it.

"Now that I think about it, I wonder who Falco resembles more," Thatch asked, looking at the girl. "When it comes to the colour of her eyes, it's obvious—but the general feeling is more like Maria."

"But Maria was also more animated," Florence pointed out. "Falco seems a lot more… calmer. Like Mihawk."

Marco nodded in agreement. "When it comes to swordsmanship though, I feel like she inherited talent from both her parents. Maria's quick, neat style complimented Mihawk's high skill level and confidence."

Everyone at the table stared at Falco, falling silent for a moment. The girl put her hands up, feeling flustered.

"W-what?" She went, feeling sheepish. "I-I mean, I also think I'm a good mix of both."

"You are, and you're not," Marco said. "There are a lot of physical elements that remind me of your parents, but there's also things that I don't recognize from Maria and Mihawk. Neither of them were very timid, for example. Mihawk was quiet, and Maria could be stern in times of war, but they weren't fearful."

Ace rolled his eyes. "We're not always carbon copies of our parents—our lives determine who we become, not just our blood."

Marco opened his mouth to say something when the doors to the dining hall suddenly slammed open, revealing a sweating man looking clearly exhausted.

"Hmm?" Whitebeard went, putting down his sake.

"H-he's back!" The pirate stuttered, eyes widened. "The commander of the Third Division, Jozu! He's back!"

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **X: Words I Cannot Convey**

* * *

Marco paced back and forth, looking anxious.

"So what you're telling me is that they're suspicious of Carlos—and they're going to take him to Impel Down soon?" Marco asked. "Do the Marines know that Carlos is one of us?"

"We're not entirely sure," a man covered with a navy-blue cape said. "But we do know that he's being kept at one of their smaller bases at the moment—which isn't too far away from us right now. If we're going to rescue him, we'll probably have to do it soon."

Marco huffed in anger while Whitebeard nodded. "Good work, Jozu, Moire."

Falco eyed the two cautiously. If she was correct, Jozu was the giant man with the stern face. She remembered that he was called 'Diamond Jozu', after his Devil Fruit which could let him materialize as such. She also recognized Moire, a vice-commander for the third division.

"Jozu isn't good at infiltrating, due to his massive size," Thatch whispered next to her. "He's more of a tank than anything stealth-wise. But Moire is a master at disguising, blending in, or escaping reality. You should ask him about his Devil Fruit abilities sometime—it's one of the coolest, in my opinion."

The girl nodded absent-mindedly, looking at the pasty man. He had bright orange hair (which she guessed wasn't helpful in spying missions), wore a white collared shirt, and black pants. But the thing she had her gaze fixed on were his fingers, which were dyed with multiple different colours—as if he had let a child scribble all over his hands with markers.

Moire noticed her stare and raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I've seen you before."

Falco immediately turned crimson, feeling anxious now that she was caught staring. Amare noticed her stiffness and immediately intervened.

"This is Falco," Amare chirped, introducing her friend. "She's the newest vice-commander of the Fourth Division!"

"The Fourth?" Jozu asked, eyes widening. "And a vice-commander… we weren't even gone for that long."

"She's Maria's daughter," Florence said. "But she's also an amnesiac—she doesn't remember much about her past, so she'll be staying with us for the time being."

Jozu and Moire's gazes immediately softened, and Falco once again felt surprised at how people's reactions changed when her mother's name was mentioned.

"You must be happy," Moire said to Thatch. "Your division is the smallest out of the sixteen."

Thatch grinned sheepishly. "Couldn't be happier, to be honest. Looks like she's still watching over us."

"Moire respects Thatch a lot," Florence whispered to her. "He wanted to be part of the Fourth Division and tried out, but he didn't make the cut. You're the first to join after Maria died."

Falco nodded silently, looking at the orange-haired man. She wondered how she'd rank compared to the other vice-commanders in terms of strength—if Moire was a good infiltrator, how was he in combat?

Marco slammed a hand to the table and muttered: "Damn it… if we don't get him out soon, he'll be sent to Impel Down for sure. They'll torture him for any information about us…"

"I don't believe Carlos is the type to give in," Moire said. "But you're right—we need to get the platoon out before they get sent to the prison."

Whitebeard nodded in agreement. "Ace, I will leave this rescue operation up to you. Make a team—no more than five people, and make rescuing the platoon the top priority. If you fail, the Marines will know for sure that they're affiliated with us, making them much more likely to be killed. Do not fight unless absolutely necessary."

"What?!" Ace cried, looking furious. "You want _me_ to rescue Carlos?!"

"Is there a problem with that?" Whitebeard asked sternly. "Or are you telling me that if you become a commander, you won't be able to get along with the man who will likely be your vice-commander?"

"I don't have to get along with Carlos," Ace snapped. "I have Teach as my other vice-commander."

Whitebeard pointed his _bisento_ at Ace's face. "You do not have to love every sibling upon this crew. However, when there are times of need, I expect you to help your family, especially since this is now a life-or-death situation."

Ace still looked angry, but silent.

"I do not know if you have some sort of vendetta against Carlos," Whitebeard said. "But it is imperative that the Second Division's two strongest men can work together when the crew needs it. Remember everything Malkin taught you, and become a commander who will surpass him."

 _Does this mean Ace got the commander position?_ Falco asked herself, feeling surprised. _Certainly sounds like it…_

"I'll think about the platoon," Ace muttered. "Excuse me."

Jozu nodded. "Go cool off, Ace. I'll talk to Marco and Thatch about the details and they can brief you and Falco tomorrow."

Ace didn't even acknowledge Jozu as he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Falco furrowed her eyebrows in worry. "Is there something between Ace and Carlos?"

Thatch shrugged nonchalantly. "They've never really gotten along. Maybe it's because Ace joined later than Carlos, but he was favoured more by the crew—I honestly don't know. But I always see them fighting."

"I see," Falco whispered, noticing that Ace had a lot more angrier sides to him than she realized.

Falco felt a hand wrapped around hers, only to see Amare looking at Whitebeard worriedly.

"What's wrong?" She asked, crouching down. "Feeling sick?"

Amare shook her head. "No, I'm fine. When do you guys leave?"

Jozu looked at the little girl. "We'll need to sail for a few days I'd say to be close enough to the Marine base. I'd say… probably the end of this week?"

Amare nodded. "Sounds good."

Marco stood up, letting out an exhausted sigh. "Well. We should probably discuss what you guys have found. Wanna come with us, Falco?"

The girl looked at Amare, who had left the room and was walking up the steps to the dock.

"No thanks—I'll catch you guys later," she said, following Amare up the stairs.

When she got up to the deck, a cold gust of wind immediately hit her face.

 _Now that I think about it, winter isn't very far away…_ she thought, biting her lower lip. _Time sure has flown by…_

She turned around to find the young girl but saw no one. "Amare?" She cried out. "Where'd you go?"

The wind prickled her skin slightly, like the beginnings of frostbite. The waves seemed a bit harsher than usual, and the overcast sky was darkening minute by minute.

In the corner of her eye, she saw a crow and a seagull flying away, the former softly crying as it sped towards the horizon.

Falco didn't know why, but she felt uneasy for a minute. _They say there's the calm before the storm, but it looks like the storm has already arrived._

After scanning the deck quickly once more, she quickly left the deck, teeth chattering from the cold. _Amare should be back soon, anyways._

She tiptoed back to her room, pressing her red cheeks with her hands, hoping to warm them up a bit. She secretly hoped that Ace would heat the room up a bit more as the few minutes of standing outside almost froze her to death. Most people seemed fine from the changing weather, but she knew that she was not yet used to the colder seasons as Root Island never got snow.

She opened the door to her room, only to find Ace sitting in one of the wooden chairs, scowling at a stack of papers.

"Ace," Falco smiled. "I was hoping you were here."

He didn't look up as he flipped through some of the pages. "Need me for something?"

She shook her head. "I was outside, trying to look for Amare. Want to help me find her? She's disappeared and the ship is too large for me to search alone."

"Sorry," the vice-commander said, sighing. "I gotta look through all these documents Jozu gave me. Amare disappears time to time, but she'll turn up eventually."

"Oh, right," Falco said, forgetting about Amare. "The mission. Who are you going to take with you?"

Ace looked slightly annoyed but put down the papers and looked at Falco. "I'm not sure at the moment, but I have a general idea. I need to check if Thatch and Marco have missions soon. I don't want to give them back-to-back assignments because that could lead to injury."

Falco nodded in understanding. "So… who's vice-commander Carlos? It seems like he's been gone for a long time."

The man gave a sharp exhale as he opened a book. "Just a co-worker. He was sent on a mission right before you joined the crew and was never able to come back."

She raised an eyebrow at the term 'co-worker'. Ace had been so enthusiastic and prideful in calling everyone his family, but she could see the different demeanour he had when talking about Carlos.

"Do you…" she started carefully. "…Not like him?"

Ace slammed the book shut and exhaled deeply before looking at Falco. "What makes you say that?"

"W-well I mean, if he's a member of the Whitebeard Pirates h-he's family too, right?" She stuttered, surprised at Ace's anger. "But you don't seem to consider him as such…"

The vice-commander furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't have to like everyone in this crew, you know."

"O-oh," she squeaked. "You're right. 1600 is a lot of people to like. B-but I'm sure he'd appreciate you rescuing him."

"He won't," Ace snapped. "Stop bothering me about him, it's not like you know what kind of a person he's like."

Falco felt a little stung. "I'm just trying to help…"

"It's fine, there's nothing to help," huffed Ace. "We'll never get along and that's that. Don't talk like you can fix anything."

She clenched her fists, tears prickling in her eyes. "What's wrong with you? You don't have to be so mean."

 _What the hell are you doing?!_ She asked herself.

Ace looked visibly annoyed. "You're right—but it's just not something I want to talk about. I won't get along with Carlos and this mission won't make our relationship any better, no matter how much Oyaji wants to change that."

"You're just being stubborn," Falco snapped, words coming out of her mouth before she could even think. "People have reasons for being mean or cruel to each other. Saving someone—a brother, no less—from a life-or-death situation can help mend whatever you guys are fighting about."

"That's ironic, coming from someone who wants to kill her family without even knowing why!" Ace yelled, standing up. "Mind your own business, this has nothing to do with you!"

Falco felt her more timid side returning as she took a step back in surprise. "I… if I can remember the hatred after ten years, I-I'm sure it was a good reason," she stuttered. "And how can you say this has nothing to do with me? Aren't we friends?"

The vice-commander's expression loosened slightly. "He knows something about me—something that I don't want other people to know about. Satisfied?"

"They all say the same thing," Falco whispered. "Mir, Talis, Eve, Amare… even Thatch and Marco. You're hiding something. I don't care what it is Ace, you don't need to tell me—but I wish you could at least _trust_ me—"

"Trust you?" He spat. "A stranger? Whenever I tell people, their gazes become different. I know they think of me differently. How do I know you're not the same?"

"A-Ace…" she said, feeling stung. "You don't have to put it that way…"

"I told you to stay out of it," Ace snapped. "Knowing does more harm."

Falco stood stiffly for a moment before running away, slamming the door as she left their room.

 _Stay out of it_. Ace's words burned in the back of her mind. _This has nothing to do with you._

She wiped her eyes angrily as she ran down the corridor. _He's right. You can't even solve your own problems—how did you expect to solve his?_

Falco aggressively rubbed her eyes, trying not to let the tears fall. _Stupid._

"Watch out," a voice said, hands gently resting on her shoulders to stop her. Falco looked up in shock and quickly took a step back.

"I-I'm sorry—"

"You okay?" The voice asked. Falco quickly wiped her remaining tears away, only to be face-to-face with Vice-Commander Moire.

"Vice-commander," she said. "Uh—yes, yes I'm fine. S-sorry for running into you like that."

He stayed silent for a moment. "You're crying."

 _No, I forgot to wipe my face after washing it._ She thought sarcastically. "I'm fine."

The man nodded hesitantly, and the two stared at each other in awkward silence.

 _I guess there's someone on the ship who has more social anxiety than me…_ Falco thought. _Unless he's fine and I'm mistaken…_

"Would you like to come to my room?" He suddenly asked. "I'm not the most hospitable person around, but I have a kettle and some exotic tea I bought from a merchant. Maybe you'll feel better after a cup?"

Falco nodded. "If you don't mind." _I don't want to be near Ace and I can't find Amare—wouldn't hurt to get to know him._

The two went down another flight of stairs, and Moire opened the door at the very end of the large hallway. "I room with Jozu, but I practically have the place to myself. He says he can't stand this place because of my art equipment so he sleeps with the rest of the division in the quarters. Hope you don't mind the mess."

Falco could immediately tell how messy the room was by watching the way Moire struggled to open the door. After a moment of listening to paper crumple, he had opened the door just wide enough for Falco to fit through.

"After you."

Falco cautiously took a step forwards, observing the space in front of her. There was paper everywhere as well as bottles of opened ink, collapsed easels, and canvases of mostly unfinished drawings.

"Wow…" Falco breathed, looking at a drawing of Oyaji. "I… I suppose you like drawing?"

Moire smiled. "I suppose so."

 _I can tell why Jozu can't sleep here…_ Falco thought. _There's barely any space to even walk._

"Have a seat," Moire said, shoving all of the contents off the table in one swoop. "I'll make some tea."

She didn't pay attention to Moire's words, only fixated on a drawing of Ace happily smiling as he placed his arms around Thatch and Marco's shoulders.

"That was when Ace got promoted to a vice-commander," Moire said, placing a cup of warm tea in front of Falco. "I guess you had your party too, huh?"

"We were actually just in the middle of ours," Falco said, not letting her gaze leave Ace's smiling face. "I got promoted today after the Hexadecagon Tournament."

Moire nodded. "A very new vice-commander then."

"Yes," she smiled, finally looking at Moire. "I'll be in your care."

The vice-commander also nodded. "I actually wasn't a big fan of art until I got my Devil Fruit. Would you like to see what it does?"

 _You should ask him about his Devil Fruit abilities sometime—it's one of the coolest, in my opinion._ She remembered Thatch saying. "Yes please."

Moire stood up and put a drawing of a simple blue room on an easel. He then gently grabbed Falco's hand and shoved her forwards.

"W-what are you—"

She stumbled forwards, realizing that she was no longer in Moire's room. The room was much wider now—a massive window showed the sun setting, and right in front of it was a circular table, two chairs, and a basket of fruits.

"This is my Devil Fruit ability," Moire said next to her. "The fruit that replaces real life with fantasy—the Genso Genso no Mi."

Falco quietly took a seat next to the large window, basking in the warm sun. She closed her eyes briefly, thinking how nostalgic it felt.

"What a beautiful Devil Fruit," she whispered. "An ability that doesn't focus on fighting or killing, but bringing a fantasy to life."

Moire nodded. "I wasn't sure if I should say this, but I can draw Maria for you."

Falco almost missed what he said. "Wait… you mean… my _mother?_ "

"Yes."

Without another word, Moire pulled out a sketchbook as well as a dark pencil. He scribbled haphazardly, and when she looked up, there was a black-and-white woman who smiled at her, standing next to the kitchen sink.

Falco stood up slowly, eyebrows furrowing. Because it was a quick sketch, the body standing before her wasn't detailed, but there was an unfamiliar warmth as she smiled.

The woman had a short bob cut. She was a little bit shorter than Falco, but radiated confidence from the way she stood as well as the warm gaze she gave her. Her eyes looked the same as her own—Falco could tell that excluding the colour, she got her beautiful eyes from her mother.

"I haven't been able to find a blue coloured pencil that comes close to Maria's eye colour," Moire whispered. "Her eyes were so deep… even more so than the sea itself. It's been a while since I've seen her, so I apologize if the sketch isn't good."

"No," Falco shook her head, feeling breathless. "N-no, I… thank you. I didn't think I'd ever be able to see her again."

Moire smiled and began sketching again. Maria's arm disappeared and then slowly began to reappear—but this time, she was holding the hand of a very young girl with long, wavy hair, wearing a white laced dress. The little girl was also holding the hand of someone she recognized immediately.

 _Father_. She thought. _It's… us._

"I've never met you as a child," Moire said softly. "This is just my interpretation."

"I think it's very accurate," Falco whispered. "It's lovely."

Moire held Falco's hand and led her out of the painting. When she turned to look at it again, her family remained inside of the blue room, happily smiling at each other.

"Perhaps this was a bad idea," the vice-commander said. "I didn't want to make you more sad."

Falco shook her head quickly, forcing a smile. "No, not at all. Thank you very much, vice-commander."

He handed the canvas to her. "You can keep it, if you'd like."

"Really?" She asked. "How can I pay you back?"

Moire smiled softly, shaking his head. "No need. I just hope this painting gives you a little bit of comfort, if any. And if you ever want to escape reality, you can always come and ask me."

Falco held the painting tightly to her body. "Thank you."

She left his quarters, feeling much better than when she had come in. But her mood suddenly dropped as she recalled her earlier fight with Ace.

 _"This has nothing to do with you."_

 _"I told you to stay out of it."_

 _How could he say that this has nothing to do with me?_ She thought, looking downcast. _I can't be the only one accepting help all the time. I wish he could trust me…_

She poked her head inside the room, wondering if Ace was feeling better. Instead, she saw that the room was empty. Not even a candle was lighting the dim room.

 _Where are they?_ She asked herself. _It's past bedtime and neither of them are here…_

She kicked off her shoes and slipped into the covers.

 _It's been a while since I've slept alone,_ she realized, shivering slightly.

 _I miss them already…_

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **X: Words I Cannot Convey**

* * *

"You look rough," Florence said, nudging Falco slightly. "You okay?"

The girl looked tiredly at the nurse. "What?"

"O…kay, clearly not," she sighed. "Where are your two brats?"

"What two brats?"

"Ace and Amare? They're always next to you, aren't they?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Falco, you really don't look so great."

The girl sighed rubbing her temples gently. Neither of them had returned all evening, and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. It had been a while since she felt so isolated… and alone.

"Oi, Falco!" Thatch waved from the opposite side of the deck. "Stop staring at the sea and come here!"

Falco gave Florence an apologetic look. "I'm fine. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah… but don't forget to tell me if you feel sick!"

The girl went up next to her senior, who gave her a pat on the head.

"We were just talking about you becoming our newest vice-commander," Thatch grinned, looking excited. Marco and Vista also nodded their hellos, looking amused.

"So this brat," Thatch continued, hand still on her head. "I swear, the swordsmanship is so clean—I don't remember Maria using a lot of swordplay so I'm wondering if it came from Mihawk—"

"And you were amazed when she beat me during the Hexadecagon Tournament," Vista said, rolling his eyes. "We _know_ Thatch, you haven't shut up about her for days."

Falco frowned. "You've been talking about me?"

Thatch ignored her words. "I mean, it's true Ace beat her but to be gifted in using a Devil Fruit ability _and_ swordsmanship—maybe I can retire early—"

"And give up your commander post because you feel that our generation is getting too old," Marco continued, sighing. "Thatch. We know. Shut up."

The First Division's commander looked at her apologetically. "He's been giddy about you being a vice-commander. He _literally_ won't stop talking about you. Florence wanted to sedate him this morning."

"Speaking of which," Thatch said, turning to the nurse. "Florence! It's illegal to drug someone with your use of medical knowledge!"

"Shut up you stupid oaf, it's also illegal to be a pirate!" She snapped, attention then turning back to another nurse beside her.

Thatch seemed unperturbed by Florence's annoyance. "So anyways, I was wondering what it would be like if Falco versed Marco."

The girl immediately stared at her superior. _Are you kidding me? You can't keep saying these things!_

"That's an interesting idea," Marco said, eyes widening. "A dragon versus a phoenix. A commander versus a vice-commander."

"T-there's no ways—"

"We can use the deck," Vista suggested. "We can just stand in a circle and watch them."

Thatch nodded excitedly. "That's a great idea. Could everyone create a ring? We're about to have a match here!"

Falco was ready to wring his neck. "Thatch, I am _not_ fighting against Marco! He'd literally kill me!"

"Oh stop being a chicken every time you have to fight," he smirked. "Besides, you've been playing too much since joining the crew. Think of this as being… I don't know, training?"

"I don't normally train by risking my life," she hissed. "Thatch, please stop before everyone comes to watch—"

"Being part of a family is all about risking your life," he said sternly. "There may come a time where you have to protect Marco, or any of us. I don't know how you trained, but this is how we do it here. We fight, we lose, and we come back with a vengeance against our opponents. Marco hardly ever loses, but he has a good eye for catching weaknesses. This is a good opportunity to learn how you can improve yourself."

Falco's shoulders dropped slightly. _He's right. I need to be strong if I want to defeat Mihawk someday. Maybe Marco can figure out what my weaknesses are._

She wordlessly stepped into the ring. The entire circumference of the deck had been surrounded by crewmates, most of them sitting on the ledges or standing on the floor. The other three ships surrounded the _Moby Dick_ with onlookers gazing excitedly at the two.

"So," Marco said, grinning lazily. "Will you be using your swords or your Devil Fruit abilities?"

"I'll go with both, if that's okay."

"Sure it is," said Marco, as someone handed him a sword. "As long as you're also okay with me using both."

"You know how to swordfight?!" Falco cried in awe. "I didn't know this!"

Marco grinned. "We're all quite well-rounded. I don't like using weapons, but this could be a good time for me to learn."

Ominous haki circled the four ships. Falco immediately stiffened up, hands trembling in fear.

 _What is this smell of murderous intent…_ she thought, a bead of sweat trickling down her face. _It's different from when I fought Vista or Ace…_

"Don't lose, Falco!" Thatch cried from the sidelines. "Show them what the Fourth is all about!"

Her division cheered loudly, pumping their fists in the air. From the corner of her eye, she could spot Oyaji, who also gazed at them with a hint of curiosity.

"Ready… fight!"

Jagged iridescent wings and hot blue wings sprouted from both of their backs instantly. A gust of wind sent multiple people flying as both fighters shot straight into the air, giving themselves distance from the rest of the crew.

Falco closed the gap between them first, Yoake swinging quickly. But Marco seemed unfazed, his droopy eyes glinting with excitement.

 _I don't care if I lose to Ace and Marco in a Devil Fruit fight,_ she thought gritting her teeth. _But I cannot lose another sword battle!_

She grabbed her odachi from the back, swinging it forwards to give some distance.

 _There!_ She thought, ready to slice him. However, her sword went cleanly through his body, flames lingering between his torso and his legs.

"You and your stupid regenerative abilities," Falco snarled. "It's unfair."

"Are you always this angry when you fight? I swear you're like a different person in battle," Marco chuckled. "Perhaps I should tell you something—my flames can't hurt people. They don't burn."

The girl raised an eyebrow curiously. "Then why are you so good at fighting? You're Oyaji's right-hand man, aren't you?"

He smirked slightly before speeding towards Falco, feet pointing down. She put her odachi out in front of her to block his kick, but it was too powerful—she shot straight into the ground, coughing blood on impact.

"Falco!" Florence screamed.

Before she had a chance to even spit the rest of the blood out, she saw the blue phoenix heading towards her, sword held out in front. She flipped backwards quickly, sheathing her odachi and bringing out her duel blades.

"Nittoryu…" Marco said slowly, smacking his lips. "I've seen it too many times, Falco."

"The point isn't to look at nittoryu multiple times," she hissed, wiping the blood away from her mouth. "It's to make sure it's that last thing you see!"

She struck down with Hanamei, letting the dull blade occupy Marco's single blade while she flipped Yoake into a reverse grip and sliced through him. His blue fire danced tauntingly at her, regenerating even the cleanest of cuts.

It made her angry—why was Marco so good with a sword? Or was she just the predictable one?

"Man, this is hard to watch," Reagan sighed, watching the vice-commander desperately attack the commander. "Marco's just too strong…"

"That may be, but remember—Marco can't regenerate forever. He has his limits," Vista said next to him. "It's always a battle of stamina against Marco. He'll want to finish the match quickly."

Thatch watched the two quietly. Though the commanders were similar in strength, there was no doubt that Marco was on a different level. He encouraged Falco to fight him so that she had someone to rival. When it came to swordfighting, Falco had proved that she could even outshine experts like Vista, given the right conditions. When it came to Devil Fruit mastery, it was evident that the risks associated with it far outweighed the benefits, so there was no use fighting against people like Ace.

But Marco would be a good rival for her—he was decent with a sword and excellent in using his Devil Fruit abilities, and his relaxed attitude often agitated his short-tempered opponents. Although Falco was shy, everyone knew that she had a fuse in battles.

"Keep going," Thatch called out lazily. "He's tired right now—it's going to be a battle of stamina."

 _Tired already?_ Falco thought. _Right, I think I heard that he couldn't sleep because he was busy organizing the mission…_

"A battle of stamina doesn't mean that my stamina is bad," Marco said, suddenly materializing behind her. Falco's eyes widened as she barely blocked a swing from the commander, using the opportunity to give themselves distance.

"It means that I have a limit—but it's not a limit you can make me go to. Not yet, anyways."

"Are all of you guys this arrogant when fighting?" Falco scoffed. "I'll be the one to determine that."

But even she could tell that this wasn't a battle which could be won so easily. Though Marco's stamina was a mystery to her, she knew that his tired form still far exceeded her top condition.

 _I'm not as adept of a flier compared to Marco,_ she thought, biting her lower lip. _I probably have the least mastery over my Devil Fruit ability from the commanders…_

While Falco relied on her wings for simple transportation, Marco understood how to use them offensively and defensively. He was much faster than her, and he used his speed to enhance powerful punches and kicks.

 _I also—_ she thought, blocking another swing from Marco. _—Don't know how to swordfight in the air._

Fighting on the ground provided stability—if someone swung downwards, she could brace for the impact and plant her feet firmly to give her stability. But in the air—especially with her relatively weak wings compared to Marco's, all the pressure went into her arms. She could feel them turning heavier and heavier like lead.

 _Damn Thatch…_ Falco glanced at the deck below. _Making me keep fighting these people—_

In the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar orange.

 _Ace._

The man looked at her with an expression that confused her—he looked apologetic.

 _Was that why he didn't return to the quarters yesterday?_ She thought. _I just wanted to talk…_

"Let your thoughts wander and you will pay with your life!"

Her thoughts were immediately cut short as Marco shot down from the sky, giving her a bone-shattering kick. She shot down to the sea, the impact completely numbing her body.

But despite the pain, despite the fact that she couldn't breathe, and despite feeling the sea seeping her energy away, all she could think about were those dark eyes that had looked at her.

 _This sucks_ , she thought, looking at the ray of sunshine penetrating the dark ocean. _I didn't want to fight with Ace._

She recalled all of the things they had done so far—running away from the Marines, going on picnics, fighting in the Ducere Tournament, meeting Mihawk, competing in sports festivals, attending a wedding, being nominated for a vice-commander position… she had so much fun thanks to Ace.

But Falco also recalled the conversations she had—about how unusually private Ace was about his past. She knew it wasn't her place to interfere, but there was a part of her that wanted to help him so much.

 _I wonder if it's right to be friends with him when I can't carry any of the burden,_ she thought, eyes closing slowly. _Do I really look so weak that he can't tell me anything?_

All of a sudden, she felt two hands wrap around her waist, embracing her tired body. She opened her eyes to see who it was, but her consciousness began to slip.

 _How warm._

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **X: Words I Cannot Convey**

* * *

"Falco," she heard a familiar voice say. "Falco… wake up!"

The girl furrowed her eyebrows before gently opening them, only to be met face-to-face by emerald eyes.

"Hiya!" Amare chirped, giving her a wide grin. "Feeling better?"

She turned to observe her surroundings—Amare, Thatch, Marco, and Florence had all gathered in her crowded room looking at her worriedly. Her eyes continued to scan but she couldn't find the man that she was looking for.

 _Ace…_

"You okay?" Marco asked gently. "I'm sorry, I should've been more careful."

The girl shook her head reassuringly. "It was a fun fight. I wasn't as focused as I should've been…"

"We were all worried," Thatch chuckled. "But Ace jumped in right after you despite being a hammer himself. He's reckless, that one."

Florence scoffed. "Which led to four other crewmates jumping in the sea to rescue him. Honestly, what was he thinking?"

Falco gently touched her lips. _Oh… so it was Ace._

"Thatch and a few others got you two out safely," Florence said. "You should thank him for acting quick—otherwise there could've been some serious damage."

Falco looked at her superior. "Thank you."

"Anything for my vice-commander," he grinned. "It's mostly my fault anyways, making you guys fight when you're tired."

Florence ushered both men outside. "Falco needs her rest so you guys can talk to her later. Amare, if you think she needs to rest don't bother her and come to the nurses's quarters tonight, okay hun?"

"Yes!" Amare said in a singsong voice.

Falco's eyes fluttered open again. "Where… were you?"

"I had diarrhea," she grinned. "I probably stunk up the entire ship yesterday! You didn't smell?"

The swordsman grinned gently. "You liar."

"I'm sure you and Ace could use some alone time as well," Amare said, slipping into the covers next to her. "I love to know everything that goes on, but I'm not entirely tactless."

Falco's smile slowly dissipated as she remembered their fight. "I made him mad yesterday."

"Oh… is that why he didn't want to come in?"

 _I knew it._ "He probably doesn't want to see my face."

Amare smiled at Falco. "Why do you always think Ace hates you whenever you guys fight? That's not how friendship works at all."

The girl glanced down. "It isn't?"

"No, silly!" She giggled, snuggling closer to Falco. "I think he was mad at himself but he was projecting that onto you—because he felt frustrated. Doesn't mean what he did was right, but I really don't think it's because he hates you."

 _That's right…_ she thought, holding Amare close. _After all, he jumped in to save me even though he can't swim._

"He wants to show his best sides to you," the young girl said softly, eyes closing. "I think… he's angry because he hasn't been able to do that. People get scared the closer you get to their hearts."

"You think he'll eventually trust me enough to say what he wants?"

Amare smiled. "If you let the threads keep weaving, I know he will."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I hope that wasn't super disappointing for a one-year wait. This chapter introduced a new OC, Moire. I had no plans to make him, so he's a very 'new' character in that sense. I just heard the word 'moire' one day (which describes a rippled effect on fabric after weaving), and his entire character came very naturally to me, so I've included him for now. I'm also considering him to be gay (and like Thatch), but nothing definitive for now.**

 **Moire is a relatively quiet and stoic character, but he's also a little slow with social cues and has a surprising childishness to him, shown by his extreme messiness and the way he 'cleans' his room (e.g: shoving everything off the table to make tea for Falco). His power, the Genso Genso no Mi, allows him and whoever he desires to be trapped in his artwork. When it comes to infiltration, it's super helpful as he can use walls as his canvas, allowing him to blend in seamlessly. But he also really enjoys giving people happiness, by drawing their hopes and desires, and letting people live in them. Though he'll be written to seem a bit cynical, Moire is quite idealistic, and sees hope as something more useful than dangerous.**

 **This chapter has also introduced Ace and Falco's official fight. They were originally suppose to kiss somewhere in this chapter, but I took it out because I felt that it fit better later on. To recap, Carlos (an OC) is one of the three vice-commanders of the Second Division, and has been gone out on a mission before Falco even joined the Whitebeard Pirates. After not coming back for an extended period of time, Jozu and Moire were sent to find them, only to return in this chapter after finding out that Carlos and his platoon have been captured by the Marines.**

 **Ace has shown to also dislike Carlos tremendously. The reason is pretty obvious, but if you can't figure it out, it'll be revealed within this arc, anyways.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:  
** **mindmybiz  
** **Aywen  
** **frenchygirl35**


	11. I Will Go to You Like the First Snow

***EDIT: So we're about to get an Ace episode after nine years for episode 894, and my heart is honestly not ready to hear him again. I'll probably sob my eyes out and if you see me MIA for the next week or so... I'm probably crying somewhere.**

 **There is a massive A/N in the end. You've been warned!**

 **I try not to use pop culture for chapter titles, but the song _I Will Go to You Like the First Snow_ by Ailee fit really well, so I ran with it.** **As we all know, the deaths of Thatch, Ace, and Whitebeard are impending, so in a way, this story is destined to be tragic. But if that was all there was to it, I would've never written _Romance Dawn_.**

 **I always found the words 'I will go to you like the first snow' to be a bit odd and sad—because the first snow is always the first to melt, and snow itself is fleeting and transient.**

 **But I suppose being able to meet someone you love for a short amount of time is better than none.**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: I Will Go to You Like the First Snow**

* * *

 _Many people exist_

 _But very few live_

* * *

Falco rubbed her eyes tiredly. Neither Ace nor Amare had returned for the night, and much to her shock, Falco realized that she could no longer sleep soundly without their presence. Ace's snoring and Amare's turning were certainly annoying at times, but it made her feel safe and less… lonely.

 _"Trust you?"_ Ace's voice rang painfully in her memory. _"A stranger?"_

 _"How do I know you're not the same?"_

 _"I told you to stay out of it."_

Falco looked around the room to figure out if Ace or Amare had visited, but as far as she could tell, neither of them had even dropped by.

She suddenly held her arms tightly towards her chest, realizing how cold it had turned overnight. Such low temperatures felt odd—Root Island had been decently warm year-round, so she wasn't used to the chilly air. Not to mention, all the other islands the Whitebeard Pirates had ventured through so far were spring or summer islands—she hadn't even realized that they were well through December by this point.

Taking a spare blanket from the drawers, she wrapped herself as tightly as she could. But just as she was about to hop up to the deck, she noticed the rose pendant that Amare had given to her before her match against Vista during the Hexadecagon Tournament. Falco quickly slipped it into her pockets and headed outside, where she saw the massive body of her captain conversing with Amare's familiar silhouette. Both whispered seriously to each other, and Amare's normally cheery face looked unusually worried.

After seeing that the girl was alright, Falco turned to go back below decks when the old floors of the ship creaked under her weight. Both pirates whipped their heads around but visibly relaxed once they saw that it was only her.

"Oh!" Amare said, her usual smile appearing once more. "You're up!"

"Yeah," Falco nodded. "I, uh—forgot to give this back to you."

She held out the black pendant and Amare looked at it with surprise.

"I totally forgot about this!" She grinned. "Hold on."

She fished out a silver chain from her pockets and slipped it into a hole at the top of the rose.

"There, now it's a necklace!" Amare smiled cheerily, handing it back to Falco.

"Uh…" the girl started. "Want me to put it on you?"

"No, silly! You can have it!"

Falco raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It looks expensive."

Amare waved sheepishly. "Nonsense, I found it a _long_ time ago! Who knows if it has any value—I bet I can't even buy a churros with it."

Falco felt skeptical as the pendant looked valuable, but slipped it on, regardless.

"Okay. Thank you."

Whitebeard walked over to her and raised an eyebrow. "Are you normally up this early? I thought you may have slept better, as I believe Ace was sleeping with the rest of his division…"

"He was?" Asked Falco. "No wonder I didn't see him…"

Whitebeard raised an eyebrow. "He didn't tell you? It's his birthday tomorrow. We'll be celebrating this evening."

"It's New Year's Eve," Amare chirped next to him. "Which means that Ace was born on New Years."

Falco felt shocked to hear that it was already the end of December, but felt even more shocked to hear that it was Ace's birthday. Despite their argument yesterday, he had done so many things for her over her short time with the Whitebeard Pirates, she knew there was no pretending not to know.

Falco immediately tossed her blanket aside and jumped onto the railing, prepared to fly back to shore. Perhaps the island they were docked at would have something that Ace would like.

"Slow down, little one," Whitebeard smiled. "The stores aren't even open yet. Ace is not one to be materialistic, anyways."

"I know," she blushed. "But he's done so much for me, I can't just be empty-handed. Do you guys have gifts?"

"Yep!" Amare chirped, pulling her down from the railing. "I got his hat repaired! It got tattered from a battle he was in months ago."

Right—Falco had almost forgotten about the inconspicuous orange hat that the man wore everywhere. No one it wasn't seen for a while. Falco had no idea when Amare had the time to send it to someone for mending, but she was impressed by the little girl's speed.

"Oh?" Whitebeard said, interrupting her thoughts. The man held out a massive hand, and Falco could see small, white drops falling on it. "Looks like we have our first snowfall of the year."

The snapped her head up to find the small snowflakes drifting down on the large ship. They fell on her body like cold kisses on her bare skin, melting as soon as they hit her warm body. Amare jumped up and down in excitement while Whitebeard chuckled with endearment.

The young girl paused and ran up to Falco, looking concerned.

"Falco?" She asked softly. "Why are you crying?"

The swordsman took a step back in surprise. "I'm not—what?"

After touching her cheeks, she realized that she _had_ been crying without even noticing it herself. She quickly wiped the tears away, feeling flustered.

Amare peered at her closely, looking sad. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," Falco apologized while shaking her head. "I don't know why I'm crying."

Whitebeard looked at her quietly. But just as quickly her tears came, the snow too, came and disappeared with it.

Her captain stood up and dusted his pants. "Amare, take care of Falco if she needs anything. And get some sleep before tomorrow's party."

"Aye!" Amare grinned, taking Falco's hand. The two watched his massive stature disappear behind the door and stood silently for a few seconds.

"Hey," Falco said, breaking the silence first. "What were you guys talking about back there?"

Amare looked at her surprisedly before shaking her head. "Nothing really important—just some big girl problems."

Falco furrowed her eyebrows, feeling slightly stung. _Maybe Amare doesn't trust me either…_

"All right," she sighed, patting Amare's head. "Go to sleep first. I need to think about what I'm going to get Ace."

"Don't stay out for too long!" The girl chirped, heading downstairs.

Once she was out of her sight, Falco headed towards the rails of the deck and sighed. Truth be told, she wasn't sure of how to reconcile with Ace. Disregarding her own feelings, she wondered if Ace was still mad at her. It wasn't right to pry, but she just wanted to help so much. Perhaps getting him a nice gift would help relieve some of the tension between them.

 _But I can't even think of one thing he'd want…_ she sighed, rubbing her eyes. _I really don't know anything about Ace, huh…_

She tried to make a mental list of the things she _did_ know about him. The Mera Mera no Mi. An incredible fighting sense. Respected by the crew, despite being one of the youngest vice-commanders.

But these were all superficial things anyone on the crew could guess by spending time with him. What did she know about him as a _person_? Falco felt that even if she did have access to all her memories, Ace would still remain as an enigma.

Her first impression of Ace had been one of both admiration and terror. An unknown man confidently fighting against a large group of Marines, evacuating her to safety. He was reliable and confident, and that made her feel protected and safe. But much more recently, Falco had noticed the more human aspects of Ace's personality. He was hotheaded and even violent to those who insulted the crew, but there was also such a gentleness to him that he didn't often show in public. The fondness he had for Amare was obvious as the two shared a sibling-like bond. But he had been incredibly kind to Falco as well—sharing a room together, the gentle pats of reassurance, green tea in the mornings because coffee made her anxious—he was warm both literally and figuratively.

And yet for some odd reason, behind the confident smiles and childish banters, there was an undeniable sadness to him that many people in the crew recognized, but no one knew what he was hiding. What was the right thing for her to do? Make him somehow realize that she didn't _care_ because he was Ace, or to wait it out and stop prying?

The barest traces of orange were starting to appear on the horizon as Falco flew to the sandy shores of the island they had recently docked at. Even if none of the stores were open, she wanted to think while window shopping.

As far as she could tell, commanders and vice-commanders made much more than the typical crewmate as they were assigned to more dangerous missions which often included expensive loot. The crew had a strict policy that the person who found any treasure would be allowed to keep it. This meant that Ace, who had been gunning through missions to secure the commander spot, would be quite well-off and had the money to buy whatever he wanted.

 _I wish I could've at least asked him about his preferences…_ Falco thought dejectedly. _What can I get him, that he can't already get himself?_

She suddenly paused in front of a store, its display filled to the brim with various gadgets and colourful junk. One box caught her eye in particular, and she blinked, remembering something Ace had said a while ago.

"Young lady," a voice suddenly addressed her as she continued to look into the display case. "What are you doing at this time of the day?"

"O-oh," she stammered, pointing awkwardly. "I was wondering if I could get this. I-if you're open, of course. I can come back later too."

The woman looked at the item she was pointing at, then back to Falco. She was dressed in expensive purple robes, long nails also manicured to match her outfit. Though she didn't seem angry, the look and the small smile upon her lips made Falco uncomfortable for some reason.

"Hmph," she said bemusedly, after a few awkward seconds. "Of course you can buy it. Come on in."

Falco quickly nodded her thanks and followed the woman inside. Instead of grabbing the item she wanted, however, the woman set two cups on top of a red table and poured water into a kettle.

"Cold, isn't it?" She asked. "Sit down and have some tea while I package that for you."

"T-thank you," Falco murmured, taking the fragrant concoction gratefully. She wasn't sure if she was cold due to the temperature of the winter island, or because she wasn't used to being away from Ace's natural warmth for long periods of time.

"So," the woman said, reaching for the item in the display case. "Must be someone important."

"I suppose so."

"I actually invited you in," she started, handing Falco the box and sitting down across from her. "Because of the pendant around your neck. Is that yours?"

Falco widened her eyes in surprise and a finger immediately began to fiddle with it. "Someone gave it to me recently."

"I see," she said. "Looks familiar, but I suppose rose-shaped pendants aren't that uncommon."

Falco gingerly took another sip from the tea, taking a good look at the shop for the first time. It was cluttered and disorganized to the point where it made her feel dizzy. Red and gold accents seemed to be the main theme, but colourful souvenirs were also strewn across the walls, decorating the tight space. Exotic-looking souvenirs hung messily from random nails that jutted out, and even the ceiling had fancy beads, flags, and other ornaments hanging from it.

"Messy, isn't it?" The woman said, taking a sip from her tea. "Cleaning was never my strong suit."

"I think it's interesting," Falco smiled. "Cozy, too."

Her purple robes shifted as she leaned back into her chair, giving Falco a thoughtful smile. "So, why are you shopping at this time of the day? A last minute gift for someone?"

Falco nodded absentmindedly. "Yes. It's for his twentieth birthday."

"I see," she nodded thoughtfully, taking another sip. "What's your relationship with him? You look strangely sad for someone about to celebrate a friend's birthday."

Falco chuckled nervously. "No, it's just that… I'm not very good at reading people. I don't really get a lot of social cues, and… I think I made him mad because of that."

"Oh?" The storekeeper smiled, leaning in closer. "You like him? Is that why you're sad?"

The girl immediately turned bright crimson. "N-no, not at all! Or… maybe… as a friend? I don't know."

She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. "I don't know what to think or feel anymore. Someone like me doesn't deserve him, anyways. What does he have to lose?"

She thought of the girls who had liked him—powerful, capable vice-commanders like Mir, smart and beautiful nurses of the crew that Florence had told her about, and even ordinary civilians like the people she had seen on Lambon. Compared to him, she was someone who had no loyalty for a crew which showed her so much kindness. She wasn't as strong as she thought she was and she was more of a hinderance to his life than an asset. Though they were roommates, there was no denying the growing distance Falco felt between them.

"I don't deserve to have someone like him by my side," she smiled sadly. "Someone who's so kind and understanding. Someone who can give everything for his crewmates. I just… I don't have that kind of devotion. He's given me so much… but I can't give anything back.

 _"Trust you?" He spat. "A stranger? Whenever I tell people, their gazes become different. I know they think of me differently. How do I know you're not the same?"_

"Nothing… at all."

The woman gave Falco a small smile, and the girl immediately snapped her head up, blushing furiously

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, waving her hands in front of her. "I didn't mean to burden you with all this nonsense. I'll pay for the item and leave—thank you for your hospitality."

But instead of naming a price, the woman looked at her thoughtfully, then at the pendant around her neck.

"Your life for his. His life for yours."

Falco blinked. "Huh?"

She quickly stood up quickly and gave Falco a friendly grin, pushing the box towards Falco. "Take it. And close the door when you leave—it's cold outside."

With that, she took the dirty dishes to a different room and turned off the lights, much to Falco's surprise. Though she felt baffled, Falco gingerly took the box in her hands and stepped back out to the street, where merchants and civilians were beginning to start the day.

"Hey, Falco!" She heard a familiar voice just as she was about to head back to the ship.

"Commanders," she said respectfully as Marco and Thatch ran up to her.

"What are you doing here so early? Is that Ace's gift?" Thatch asked, eyeing the box.

"I—yeah," she stammered. "B-but—"

"Which reminds me, why was he in the Division Two quarters last night?" Marco asked, crossing his arms. "Did you manage to convince him to sleep without a bed? That's amazing, you know. He wouldn't even give it up when we first brought Amare, sick and all. Something about needing to sleep away from his division, who apparently all snore, but maybe he doesn't realize that it's _his_ snoring that he's hearing—"

"No!" Falco cried, cutting him off. "I just—I don't know. He didn't return last night. Neither did Amare."

She pushed the box to her commanders. "Can you ask Amare to give this to Ace? I feel awkward doing it myself…"

Thatch peered at her golden eyes closely as he took the gift. "Did you guys fight?"

The girl looked up. "Is it obvious?"

"Your red eyes and anxious mannerisms totally don't tell me _anything_ ," Marco said, rolling his eyes.

"Marco, shut up," said Thatch, patting Falco on the head. "Well, what did you guys fight about?"

"It was my mistake," Falco said quickly. "I was just being nosy, and I think it made him mad."

Her commander huffed, frown planted on his face. "That idiot. Getting mad at someone innocent."

"N-no, it's not his fault!" Falco cried, waving her hands quickly. "Really. I was just—I just wanted to help him. Because he's done so much for me."

She eyed the box in Thatch's hand, feeling nostalgic. "He rescued me from that island. And he helped me make friends and bond with others when I was so afraid. I learned how to read, and write, and dance…"

 _But he can't even trust me enough to call me a friend. I'm only a stranger to him._

Falco shook her head, smiling sadly. "There's nothing I can do for him."

Thatch looked at her quietly before giving her a warm grin.

"Maybe he's afraid _because_ he knows you can do many things for him," her commander explained. "I don't know what he said to you yesterday, but I can assure you that Ace appreciates you a lot. He wouldn't be around you or Amare otherwise."

"Give him some time," Marco nodded, patting her head as well. "I know the world has been unkind to you, but it has also been unkind to Ace. And I think with the stress of the rescue mission, he just took his anger out on you. It wasn't right, but I hope you know that his anger was misdirected."

"You think so?" She asked innocently. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Tell him that," Thatch smiled. "Everyone likes being appreciated. And everyone wants to feel loved.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **XI: I Will Go to You Like the First Snow**

* * *

"Hey," Ace said, struggling to put on a maroon-coloured tie. "Where have you guys been?"

"Shopping for tonight's banquet," Thatch huffed, settling a bag of groceries down on the table. "Why are you changing in our room?"

Ace glanced at him wearily. "I think I upset Falco. I wanted to give her some time alone."

"Well she's not in your quarters. Marco and I saw her on the island—she'll be staying there for the rest of the day."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

"She said you guys fought," Marco said, grunting as he put a stack of boxes to the ground. "What did you say to her? She looked terrified."

Ace paused, guilt etching into him. "I called her a stranger—and some other really shitty things. She's probably really hurt, huh?"

"You called her a stranger?" Thatch cried, aghast. "Perfect, that's just what someone with social anxiety needs to hear."

"It wasn't my fault," Ace snapped. "There's things I want to hide from her, you know!"

The man sighed and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly, as if unsure of what to say next.

"She makes me feel so… comfortable," he said awkwardly. "We'd just be talking and all of a sudden, I'm ready to tell her _everything_. And that scares me."

Marco gave an exasperated sigh. He walked over to Ace and patted his shoulder, offering a weary look.

"Ace. I don't know what it is that you're hiding from us and you have every right to withhold information on your private life. But don't make it seem like this is all her fault. She just wants to help because you mean a lot to her. Why can't you see that?"

Ace flicked Marco's arms away in annoyance. "You don't understand. None of you guys understand."

"Maybe we don't. But who knows, maybe we do," Marco said, heading out the door. "Even if you decide to take your secret with you to the grave, don't drag her under with you."

The two quietly watched Marco leave. Once the man was clearly outside of their hearing range, Thatch turned to Ace and sighed, shaking his head with disapproval.

"What?" Ace said, feeling annoyed.

"Treat her well," Thatch said carefully. "Because if you hurt her, you're also hurting Marco."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Because she's Maria's kid?"

The commander was silent for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should say anything.

"Marco likes her, you know."

"Who?"

"Falco."

Ace did a double-take. "He _what_?!"

"Surprised? You shouldn't be," said Thatch. "Have you ever seen the way he looks at her? It's like he's in love all over again."

"Whoa, wait a minute," said Ace, shaking his head. "There's no ways—Marco liked her _mom_ —Maria—"

"And Falco's the spitting image of her. One of his biggest regrets was being unable to keep Maria on board. He blames himself for her death, and I think he wants to prevent Falco from going down that same road."

Ace shook his head in denial. "That makes no sense, Falco isn't Maria—"

"And he recognizes that," Thatch explained gently. "Why do you think he tries to keep his distance? He knows it's wrong and he's done everything he can to make sure that Falco will be happy, by ignoring his own feelings."

The commander's eyes flashed. "You are my brother, Ace, and I love everyone on this crew more than anything in the world. But do not take her for granted. You don't have to date her or love her romantically, but know that out of all of us here, she trusts you the most. At least give her the courtesy of explaining how none of this is her fault."

The vice-commander shook his head again with disbelief. "There's no ways."

"If you do love her—or care for her in any capacity, then treat her so well that not even Marco will have any regrets," Thatch said, patting him on the shoulder before exiting the room as well.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **XI: I Will Go to You Like the First Snow**

* * *

Falco quickly tied her hair into a loose braid and slipped her feet into a pair of sparkling stilettos once she put on a light-grey evening dress. She was never a fan of such high heels, but Amare had _insisted_ on getting them when they had first gone shopping, and Falco knew there was no beating the kid in an argument. There were no plans to move or dance tonight, so Falco determined that it would be okay for an hour or so.

By the time she had finished preparing, the deck had been completely transformed with paper lanterns, tables of food lined up in the back, and hundreds of smartly-dressed pirates casually milling about. She looked around for a familiar face but sighed tiredly when she saw none.

 _This is going to be a long day…_

"You Falco? The new vice-commander?"

The girl turned around, only to be met face-to-face by an extremely large man. Unlike many of the friends she had made on board, this man gave off a less-than-appealing vibe, from his gargantuan stature to his many missing teeth. Though he was giving Falco a hearty smile, it made her feel uncomfortable.

"Surprised, eh? I'm the other vice-commander of the Second Division. The name's Teach."

Falco's face morphed into shock. "O-oh. Nice to meet you. I'm Falco. Falco D. Mihawk."

"Falco D. Mihawk? That's an odd name," he noted. "Shouldn't it be Mihawk D. Falco? Or Dracule D. Falco? Yer the daughter of the great Hawk-Eye, ain't ya? Zehahaha!"

He took a large swig from his giant beer mug and wiped his mouth haphazardly with the sleeve of his suit. "Either way, welcome to the Whitebeard Pirates! I had no idea we had such a beautiful vice-commander! I was away for a bit on a mission, you see."

"I-I see," Falco stammered. "Thank you."

"So why'd the daughter of the great Hawk-Eye join our lovely family?" He asked, eating a pie that seemed to have materialized from nowhere. "Wanted to be a pirate like your old man, eh?"

Falco's fists clenched and her expression immediately hardened. "Not at all. I've no interests in being a pirate—or a Marine. My stay here is temporary."

"Oh?" Teach went, looking curious. "But this _is_ a pirate crew, miss. The Marines might come after ya, whether your intentions were good or not."

"They won't take me," she said indignantly. "I've done nothing wrong."

"Zehahaha!" Teach went. "That's not the story I heard. One of the crew members told me that Vice-Commander Ace rescued you from a Marine attack on an island. Sounds like they wanted to take you pretty badly."

 _What's up with this guy?_ Falco thought, feeling angry. "I'm sure they had their own reasons. But as for myself, I wish to live impartially, without taking any sides. I'll be a moral person, unlike Mihawk and Akainu."

At this, Teach's jovial expression suddenly morphed into one slightly sinister.

"Impartiality… morality… judgement…" he said slowly. "Looks like freedom ain't your thing, Falco D. Mihawk."

The two looked at each other, air turning chillier by the second. She could feel the presence of her Haki rising, rivalled by Teach's.

A small hand suddenly clasped hers, making her jump in surprise and immediately cutting the tension between them.

"Heya, Falco!" Amare said, giving her a familiar grin. "Heya, Teach!"

"Ah, Amare!" Teach smiled back, all traces of Haki disappearing. "I've missed you—have you grown?"

"A good two centimetres!" The young girl said proudly. "I'll tell you all about my tips and tricks to growing strong and healthy, but first, I have to tell Falco something. Big girl problems."

"Zehahaha," Teach drawled, nodding in understanding. "Don't let me keep you. Pleasure meeting you, miss."

Once Teach had completely disappeared into the crowd, Falco crouched down to Amare's eye level, looking concerned.

"What's wrong? Do you feel sick?"

"Wha—no, silly!" Amare said, giggling. "I'm not _always_ sick, you know! I happen to be a very healthy and sturdy little girl."

"Oh. Then what's up?"

She gave Falco a toothy grin. "Just wanted to let you know that I delivered your gift to Ace. He looked happy, but he didn't open it."

Falco had forgotten all about the mysterious present. "Oh. Is that it?"

"Yep."

"I see." Falco looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Is…" she started carefully, taking her time to choose her words. "Is Teach really a vice-commander? He feels so different, compared to Ace, Mir, Talis, Reagan, or Moire…"

Amare raised an eyebrow. "What, all vice-commanders are required to be good-looking?"

"No, no!" Falco said, raising her arms. "I—never mind. I was just curious."

Amare looked up at the sky, puckering her lips. "Hmm… he _is_ a vice-commander, but he's odd in a sense that he has no intentions of becoming a commander, unlike Ace and Carlos. I suppose that's why he gets along with Ace so well. Because he's never desired the spotlight. To be honest, it's kind of easy to forget about him."

"Oh…" _Maybe it really was all in my head._

"Speaking of which, I think Ace's speech is starting soon. I'm going to get dressed," Amare said, running away. "Talk to you later!"

Before Falco even had a chance to offer her help, the young girl slipped into the crowd, leaving Falco alone. She felt the urge to rub her temples again. _What a confusing day…_

"Children!" Whitebeard's voice echoed through the halls. "We will begin the party for Ace's twentieth birthday after a short speech.

The pirates began to shuffle closer and faced the upper deck. Ace stood passively with a glass of white wine, wearing an expensive-looking black suit with a maroon cummerbund around his waist. Falco realized that this was the longest time they hadn't seen each other since she joined the crew. For some reason, that made her feel like the distance between them greater than what it actually was.

Falco smiled sadly. _For a man who always complains about wearing suits or shirts in general, he certainly suits them._

Ace cleared his throat, and the commotion around them immediately settled.

"I'm not much for these sorts of events," he said sheepishly, holding the glass up. "But you don't turn twenty every day."

He took a pause to gaze at his crewmates, but his eyes widened when he saw Falco in the crowd. He offered her a small smile, which confused Falco.

 _Is he not mad at me anymore?_ She thought, feeling nervous. _That can't be… we didn't even get a chance to talk._

"I wanted to say that… there were times when I wondered if it was good I had been born," he continued, onyx eyes fixated on her. Falco looked around to see if he was talking to someone else, but his gaze was clearly locked on her. "I wasn't sure if this life was worth living. I felt that I didn't have a direction. I didn't have people to rely on. I had nothing."

Falco blinked, trying to take in his words. It surprised her to see how much Ace had also struggled with his identity—and though Falco could not remember her past, she understood that they shared many things in common.

"But as I grew up, I started to meet more and more people. People I could call brothers. People I could call family. I believe I was able to live up to this age of twenty because the Whitebeard Pirates gave me a new life, and a purpose to keep serving the family and our father."

Ace put on a small smile as the crew cheered.

"Meeting you gave me a happiness like no other," he said, the deafening shouts of his crewmates almost blocking his voice out to all but one person. "I'm glad I was born."

 _"ACE! ACE! ACE!"_ The crowd chanted, as everyone held their glasses up to celebrate.

Falco felt rooted to the ground as the pirates around her began to sing and dance once Ace finished his speech. Her heart was palpitating, and she felt flustered for some reason.

 _Damn it, Ace—why'd you have to look at me while saying that?_ She thought, clutching her chest.

The crowd around her slowly dissipated, forming small groups to chat away. Two drunken men began to dance in the centre of the deck, earning hollers and cheers of encouragement from amused onlookers. Falco began to weave her way through the crowd, feeling claustrophobic.

 _I want to change,_ she thought, still feeling warm. _I can hardly breathe._

Just as she was about to move, however, a hand suddenly clasped her wrist and dragged her backwards, much to her shock. She stumbled a little bit, stepping on the toes of angry crewmates before crashing into the soft chest of the person who had grabbed her.

"What are you—"

Ace quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and put a hand over her mouth to silence her. Golden irises clashed with onyx, and Falco immediately felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Before she could remove his hand, however, the man gestured her to be quiet and pointed to a box tucked under his arm with a large grin.

 _Let's go,_ he mouthed, pointing away.

Not giving Falco a second to argue, he crouched down and slipped away behind everyone, dragging Falco behind him by her wrist.

By the time they were down on the sandy shores, snow began to fall lightly. Ace wriggled out of his jacket before placing it around Falco's shoulder, adjusting it gently so that it would stay on her. Falco wordlessly gripped the jacket, grateful for the warmth.

"C'mon, there's something I want to show you," he smiled, leading her towards the entrance to a forest. "I'll make you warm when we get there."

The girl followed silently, feeling baffled. _Is he really not mad at me anymore?_

She wanted to change out of her high heels before the inevitable uphill trek, but knew that the timing was too late. If this was her chance to talk to Ace, then that was all she needed. The girl ignored the searing pain from her ankles and followed the man into the path, staring at the ground in concentration.

 _What do I say to him?_ Falco thought, feeling frantic. _I need more time to think about this. What if he's going to start yelling at me? What if he's going to tell me he's uncomfortable with me? Should I have brought Amare along? Does anyone know where we're at? It must be super important if he's skipping his own party…_

"Falco."

Ace grabbed her wrist, forcing her to turn around. The girl had been so entranced in her thoughts that she completely missed walking past him.

"O-oh," she stammered. "Are we there—"

"I'm sorry," Ace blurted out.

Falco blinked in surprise. _For what?_

The man let go of her wrist after observing her confused expression and rubbed his neck tiredly, unsure of what to say.

"I didn't mean that. None of what I said—I mean, I know this doesn't excuse anything, but it's been bothering me—"

He forced himself to stop and sighed.

"You're not a stranger," he said much more clearly. "You're my crewmate and my friend. And I _do_ trust you. I was just angry because of Oyaji and the mission, but I took it out on you when I shouldn't have. It wasn't right."

He glanced at the box sandwiched under his arm, and Falco realized that it was the gift she had received earlier from the older woman. "It bothered me, what I said to you. And Marco and Thatch told me you were blaming yourself. But you did nothing wrong—you had every right to be curious, and I knew your intentions were good. I'm sorry."

"B-but," Falco started. "I… I just…"

She looked at him oddly. "So… we're friends?"

"Of course!"

Falco smiled gently, looking at the ground. "I'm glad… I really thought… maybe I was mistaken all along. I'm not very good at reading people, so I thought maybe this was all in my head, and you didn't really like spending time with me."

She gave him a tearful smile, wiping the droplets away from her eyes. "I'm so glad…"

Ace furrowed his brows, feeling ashamed. _So I've made you cry once again…_

The man gently pulled down her wrist and helped her wipe the tears away.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "You're the last person who needs to feel apologetic. It's all my fault."

Falco sniffled. "You could've just told me on the ship."

"I was going to," he admitted. "But then Amare handed me the gift and told me you were staying on the island to shop."

"I was thinking of what to say to you," she hiccuped angrily. "I've never fought with a friend before."

Ace gave her a soft smile. "I'm lucky to have someone who thinks about me so much."

He jerked his chin towards the remaining uphill trail ."We're almost there, just a bit more to—oh."

The man looked at the back of Falco's ankle which had begun to bleed. She hadn't even realized the pain from the anxiety, but now that she was starting to feel more calm, the cramping became much more obvious.

"I'll carry you—"

"No, no, no!" Falco said, back-stepping quickly. "You absolutely do _not_ want to carry me. I'm fine."

Ace laughed heartily, his voice echoing throughout the forest. "You're not that heavy. I carried you on Root Island, remember?"

Truth be told, she barely did. Everything that happened during their initial meeting passed in a blur, and the poisoned kairoseki bullets embedded in her made her mind fuzzy.

"C'mon," he said, crouching down. "I'll give you a piggy-back ride."

"Ace, I'll break your back," she said, taking another step back. "I'm fine, let's just go."

"I can either carry you like a sack of potatoes, or like a bride, _or_ you can just get on my back and we can resolve this quickly," Ace said. "Come on, I want to reach the top before the snow falls harder."

Falco sighed in defeat, carefully climbing on. _Glad I didn't eat anything today._

"See?" He grunted, staggering as he stood up. "You're not heavy."

"Your voice tells me otherwise," she muttered. "I can walk."

"Silence, woman!" Ace said jokingly. "Okay. To the top."

Falco subconsciously snuggled into the crook of Ace's neck, taking in his smoky fragrance and his natural warmth. She felt a strange sense of ease that had been missing for the past day, and his presence comforted her heart. Falco knew it was important not to get too attached, but she knew that it was too late. She truly felt happier with Ace and Amare by her side.

"This place is called Hotaru Island," Ace explained, voice sending vibrations through his back. "Unfortunately, fireflies hibernate in the winter, but I _am_ the user of the Mera Mera no Mi…"

Ace huffed, a cloud of condensation dissipating into the atmosphere. "We're here."

Falco raised her head, eyes immediately widening as she saw the view before her. "Wow…"

Hundreds of artificial fireflies circulated around the white flakes, illuminating the darkened sky. Ace had brought them to an open field, completely surrounded by tall, sturdy trees which had the barest traces of white on its branches. In the centre of it was a wooden gazebo with a two-tired roof that was painted blue. Ace gently put her down once they were inside, grinning at her proudly.

"So?" He asked, hands outstretched. "How do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," she whispered in awe. "I didn't know there could be places like this."

"I made the fireflies with the Mera Mera no Mi," Ace explained, grinning. "Saw this place by chance this afternoon and thought that it could be a nice place to open your gift."

 _Oh yeah,_ Falco thought, attention turning back to the box. _I hope he likes it._

Ace sat cross-legged next to her, holding it excitedly in his hands.

"This is sort of nerve-wracking," he said with a childish grin. "My first gift from Falco."

"It's nothing special," she muttered, looking away. "And I got it for free, anyways."

When Ace popped the lid open, Falco couldn't help but grimace. _What if he hates it?_

"Damn, I needed one of these!" She heard him say, much to her relief. The man held out a Log Pose with a silver buckle, grinning happily. "Thanks, Falco!"

"I remembered you saying that your Log Pose broke," the girl mumbled, remembering their conversation on Lambon Island. "I figured it could be useful."

"There's two," he said suddenly, handing her an identical Log Pose. Falco raised a brow and looked over his shoulder, realizing that there were indeed, two Log Poses.

"I don't need two," he said, gently handing her one. "You can take this."

Falco held the artifact gingerly in her hands. _Not like I'm going anywhere by myself for the time being… but I guess it won't hurt._

"What's this needle for?" Ace asked, peering at his Log Pose carefully. Falco also glanced at hers and realized that below the typical red and white needle, there was also another one painted in gold and silver.

Falco blinked, looking at where the golden tip was facing. "I think… they're pointing at each other."

"Really?" Ace asked as he stepped out of the gazebo and moved around. Once checking that the golden tip was indeed, pointing at Falco, his lips broke out into a wide grin. "You're right!"

The girl silently watched the needles, remembering the woman's words. _"Your life for his. His life for yours."_

"That's really cool," he said, coming back into the structure. "It's like an Eternal Pose. Or a Vivre Card."

Falco frowned. "What's that?"

Ace looked thoughtful for a moment. "An Eternal Pose is just a Log Pose that points to one island forever. A Vivre Card is a special paper made from someone's fingernail, and it can also show the person's life force and lead to where they're at."

"I see," Falco said quietly. "That's reassuring. To know that I'll always have an Eternal Pose to you."

Ace looked the girl and blushed, before clearing his throat akwardly.

"Thanks for the gift," he whispered, adjusting his jacket around her shoulders. "And… for thinking so much of me. Even when I was terrible to you."

Falco smiled in appreciation before turning to look at the Log Pose.

"Do you think…" she started, "that we'll be friends for the rest of our lives?"

Ace became silent for a moment, contemplating carefully. Truth be told, he had never given much thought about his future. All he wanted was for Whitebeard to become the Pirate King. Most of his troubles were linked to the past, and questions debating on his reason for existing were regular.

 _I wonder if you will be in my future,_ Ace thought, combing a strand of Falco's hair behind her ear.

"I can't imagine what life would be like. Without you—or Amare," Falco said sheepishly. "And I know that's so dumb, especially since I was the one who said I'd be leaving eventually—"

"I'll be with you," Ace cut her off. "Always."

Falco looked up at him in surprise, but the man was already looking afar, gazing at the distance. The snow fell silently around them, but the stillness was interrupted by the first firework going off from the direction of the village.

"Even if you leave, I'll always visit you when the first snow falls," he said, holding a hand out. "That way, we'll see each other at least once a year."

But much to his surprise, Falco only huffed.

"That's dumb," she muttered. "What if I'm stuck on a permanent winter island? Then there's no 'first snow', only an 'eternal snow'. Not to mention…"

Falco gently grabbed Ace's hand and placed it on her cheek, making the cold from her body melt away instantly.

"The snow would melt on a man who is made of fire," she whispered, closing her eyes. "And that would make the first snow so sad…"

 _"Can't help—"_

 _"Dangerous—"_

 _"It's the first snow of the year."_

Falco repressed the unknown voices and the barest glimpses of her past that were slowly creeping up on her and instead, focused on Ace's warmth. The man shuffled closer to her until she could comfortably lean her forehead against his sturdy chest, listening to his heartbeat carefully.

The fireworks began to go off much more rapidly now, and Ace could guess that the New Year had arrived. Fireflies and fireworks both illuminated the winter night, allowing the man to see glimpses of Falco's content smile as she remained still against him, eyes closed. Memories of Malkin's wedding flashed through his mind.

 _"Such silly wishes. I don't care about being a pirate. Hell, I don't even care about One Piece or becoming the Pirate King. I just want a family in my life. Someone who will be with me until my dying breath."_

Ace gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, heart beating nervously. _I wonder if you'll be with me in my last moments. Or if I'll be with you._

 _"But today… yesterday… the day before that… I can say that I've truly been happy, because I was able to share my memories with the people closest to me."_

"Happy birthday, Ace," Falco whispered.

 _Or will you leave me like most do, if I tell you about Roger._

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
** **When I first wrote this A/N, it was over TWO THOUSAND WORDS LONG. Even with a lot of cutting, it's still stupidly long. Notes are never necessary to read in my stories, but I felt that there needed to be clarification on some issues, since I'm not good enough to subtly imply these things in the story without explaining it.**

 **Ace's Anger:  
** **Many of you guys have commented or messaged me about Ace's anger, but keep in mind that he's 19 (and now, freshly 20) in this story. It's a bit BEFORE the start of _One Piece_ , and he has not told anyone about his relationship to Roger yet. In the canon, he only tells Whitebeard the truth before he accepts the commander position, fully expecting himself to get kicked out because of the Whitebeard/Roger rivalry (though clearly, the captain didn't care).**

 **In other words, this is before he's told anyone (minus Sabo/Luffy) about his lineage, and he's angry because he's _scared_ that Falco will abandon him if she finds out. Unlike the rest of the crew (who've just acknowledged the fact that he has a personal secret), Falco is digging deeper because she wants to do something for him. But this terrifies him at the same time, because he's clearly starting to develop something for her.**

 **Teach:  
** **I'm not sure how well I wrote it in the chapter, but Teach _hates_ Falco.**

 **It's hard to talk about Teach without rambling (the original note on him was over 1000 words long), but he's clearly Luffy's foil in the anime. When it comes to morality in _One Piece_ , Luffy always walks on a weird line. He says he's not a hero, but his love for his friends often makes him do the heroic thing, which is why we see him as the 'good' in the story. In my opinion, Teach is the same side of the coin on Luffy, except he acknowledges the fact that to be _truly_ free, you can't always be on the moral high ground, and his actions in the canon reflect this. That's why I wrote the line, _"Looks like freedom ain't your thing, Falco D. Mihawk."_**

 **In other words, the true 'antagonist' to Teach, Luffy, and possibly _One Piece_ as a whole… is Falco.**

 **She has no 'true' dream, no desire or love for adventure, and doesn't care about freedom or the final treasure. She tries to gain a moral high ground above Akainu and Mihawk to justify killing them, but without her memories and without fully remembering _why_ , this foundation is shaky at best. And this is why Teach hates Falco—to him, she's just a hypocrite.**

 **Falco uses impartiality as both a hinderance ('oh, I can't possibly take sides and be a pirate!') but also as a crutch ('I have the right to kill Mihawk (a pirate) and Akainu (a Marine) because my desire to kill them is justified'). But even if this impartiality is her dilemma, it is what Ace finds attractive about Falco. Because if she can truly look at a person or a situation for what it is, then maybe she would also understand Ace's lineage.**

 **Marco:  
** **I'm sure someone went 'wtf' during Ace's conversation with Thatch, but I've moved this note to the next chapter, where it can be explained more in depth. But just to defend myself, I honestly, genuinely thought Marco was a lot younger than he actually is.**

 **Keep in mind that I've written this story since 2012—and Oda didn't release Marco's age until 2018. Again, I'll write about why I suddenly threw in this wrench in the next chapter, but I just wanted to point out that I didn't have any shitty ulterior motives—Oda didn't give Marco an age until last year, and I only found out about it this month by pure coincidence.**

 **Chapter Notes:  
** **This was honestly just supposed to be a 'fun' chapter between Ace and Falco, but it actually ended up being one of the heaviest plot-related chapters so far. Regardless, I hope you didn't find the fluff too cringe as I actually enjoyed writing about them.**

 **I don't like to spoil my story, but there's two 'Chekhov's Guns' in this chapter. They're pretty obvious, but try to spot them and guess what they're about!**

 **I also have a _Boku no Hero Academia_ story which is in the works, and the first chapter should be live on the week of ****Oct. 12** **th** **to match the first episode of Season 4. I'm having a ton of fun writing it, likely because Falco and Ace's story tends to give me depression sometimes (though by the looks of it, I'm not sure how fun-filled the BNHA story will be either). Regardless, it works out well because things will start to go downhill pretty fast in the next year or so for _Romance Dawn_ , and I definitely need a more fun-oriented story to keep me motivated. Let me know if you're interested!**

 **-Jeis**

* * *

 **Special thanks to:** **  
mindmybiz  
** **Leoki  
** **Dayokai**


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